What We Do

We believe that a healthy community starts by creating a safe environment for our citizens to live in. We accomplish this through science-based risk assessment, policy development, monitoring and inspections, consultation, education, and enforcement of regulations designed to protect the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the places where we live, play, and work. While protecting human health is our primary objective, we also act in concert with many other agencies, programs, and organizations whose work helps to protect and enhance environmental quality.

Environmental Health services include Air Quality, Body Art, Child Care Facilities, Public Health Land Use reviews, Retail Food Licensing, Food Safety, On-Site Wastewater Systems, Public Pools and Spas, and Water Testing throughout El Paso County.

Community Health Assessment (CHA)

The Community Health Assessment (CHA) provides demographic and socioeconomic data about El Paso County and seeks to add context about how systems such as the built environment, access to health care, and the social determinants of health impact the health data. Some examples of the social determinants of health include: the safety of workplaces, the cleanliness of air and water, access to quality, affordable child care, access to healthy food choices, and access to safe spaces for physical activity.

Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a long-term, systematic effort that aims to address issues identified by the CHA. Other agencies in the community can use a strong CHIP to identify local community health needs and priorities. This written reported is created by the Healthy Community Collaborative (HCC).

Healthy Community Collaborative (HCC)

The Healthy Community Collaborative (HCC) reviewed the health indicator and socioeconomic data for the 2017 CHA and has created a written CHIP report for 2018-2022. In addition, the Healthy Community Collaborative has selected two priority areas for the CHIP: mental health/substance use and healthy eating/active living. The Healthy Community Collaborative monitors its progress on the CHIP’s priority areas on the Thriving Colorado dashboard.

Prevention services include tobacco education and prevention, youth suicide prevention, Communities That Care (CTC), and behavioral health.

EPCPH’s Communicable Disease program works to detect, investigate, control and prevent infectious diseases and disease outbreaks. Staff collects, analyzes and reports infectious disease data, and provides public health consultation and education for health care providers and the public.

Additionally, EPCPH’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) team is responsible for preparing for and responding to emergency situations. EPR develops plans for emergency responses, provides training, and collaborates with governmental partners, nonprofit organizations, and private sectors.