Public Health in the Rockies 2026

The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment’s (DDPHE) Epidemiology & Disease Intervention Team, as it exists today, is celebrating five years as a program later this year. Some could argue themes affecting the public health workforce in the last five years include uncertainty, reductions, decreased public confidence, increased burnout, a sense of urgency to continue the important work but “do more with less.” Denver's team has directly contended with these issues, but as we reflect back on the last five years, the resiliency, team culture, and positive impacts shine through the challenges. How did we get here despite all we’ve been thrown?

This session will briefly introduce DDPHE's Epidemiology & Disease Intervention Team and then dive into strategies, approaches, lessons learned, and intentional efforts to build staff resiliency, engagement, and retention following infectious disease outbreak responses that significantly impacted the team over the last five years. Each response will be described briefly to highlight the impact to staff and provide context. Tied with each response will be a deeper dive into how the team’s approach to the response and recovery after had an impact on the program, staff engagement, and future preparedness. During these sections, attendees will be invited to discuss how they see these themes reflected in their own work and teams. Sixty minutes will allow for structured engagement during each example.

Examples of responses that will be covered include:

* 2022 mpox outbreak
* 2023 migrant crisis and varicella outbreak associated with temporary shelters
* 2023 West Nile virus cases
* 2024 meningococcal disease outbreak impacting persons experiencing homelessness in Denver metro area
* 2025 measles outbreak and response

Finally, the presentation will conclude with a summary of additional efforts within the team that have promoted engagement, retention, and growth, including professional development, creating a celebratory culture, and breaking down silos and collaboration.