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Tuesday, September 22
 

7:00am MDT

Registration
Tuesday September 22, 2026 7:00am - 5:00pm MDT
Main Lobby

Tuesday September 22, 2026 7:00am - 5:00pm MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Registration

8:30am MDT

Building Policy Power Through Community and Municipal Partnerships
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
The Aurora Tobacco Retail License+ (TRL+) campaign exemplifies the conference theme, Stronger Together: Public Health in the Heart of the Rockies. This work united two local public health agencies, the City of Aurora, a long-standing community coalition, multiple national and statewide public health advocacy organizations, the business community, and technical support provided through the STEPP...
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Speakers
avatar for Vannesa Cruz

Vannesa Cruz

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Aurora Public Schools
Vannesa Cruz is a first-generation, bilingual public health and social work professional with a background in school leadership and systems support. Ms. Cruz leads youth substance prevention and intervention efforts for Aurora Public Schools, focusing on strengthening protective factors... Read More →
LL
TV
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

8:30am MDT

Fundamentals of Survey Design
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
Public health initiatives depend upon accurate, actionable and community-driven data, collected through systematic and collaborative approaches. Surveys are one of the most efficient mechanism to gather insights that serve community members, program partners, and institutional stakeholders as they seek to frame data with community voice. This interactive session is tailored for public health...
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Speakers
SC

Sara Cooper

PhD, MSPH, University of Colorado
Sara Cooper is the Director of the Community Epidemiology and Program Evaluation Group (CEPEG) and a Senior Clinical Instructor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the Colorado School of Public Health. With over 25 years of experience in Survey Research, and both... Read More →
TM
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

8:30am MDT

Leadership Is Everyone's Work: Building Healthy Organizational Cultures
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 4
Public health professionals are trained to solve problems. But the most persistent challenges facing public health organizations today — burnout, equity gaps, community trust, cross-sector coordination — resist the kind of solving we are trained for. They are adaptive challenges, not technical ones. And adaptive challenges cannot be resolved by authority alone. They require leadership from...
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Speakers
AK
DW
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

8:30am MDT

Stronger Together Through Story: Data Storytelling for Rural Public Health
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 2
Purpose and Need. Public health professionals in rural and frontier communities have access to a lot of powerful stories in their community health assessments, program reports, surveillance data, and field observations, but most don't exactly know how to turn those data into a narrative that resonates with community members, school boards, and local media who need to hear it. Data storytelling is...
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Speakers
HB
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

8:30am MDT

Motivational Interviewing for Vaccine Uptake & Other Health Behaviors
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
Colorado is facing a critical moment, both for immunizations and trust in healthcare as a whole. As of April 30, 2026, the U.S. is dealing with myriad challenges in the immunization landscape, from infectious disease outbreaks to erosion of evidence-based policy. So far this year, there have been 1,803 confirmed measles cases in 37 states, with 17 cases in Colorado. Motivational Interviewing (MI)...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Waraniak, MPH

Sarah Waraniak, MPH

Program Director, Immunize Colorado

Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

8:30am MDT

Finding Your Voice in Public Health Policy Advocacy & Communication
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
Public health professionals are uniquely positioned to inform policy, yet many lack formal training in how to effectively translate information into actionable policy change. This skill-building session addresses that gap by equipping participants with practical tools to engage confidently and strategically in the policy-making process. Grounded in an overview of the Colorado Public Health...
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Speakers
avatar for Efren Garcia

Efren Garcia

MPH, CPHA-Board Member
Efren Garcia is a Policy Analyst at the Bell Policy Center, where he focuses on housing, wealth building, and economic mobility across Colorado. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, he moved to Aurora in 2022 to pursue his Master of Public Health in Health Systems, Management & Policy... Read More →
avatar for Alexandra Kellogg

Alexandra Kellogg

MPH, CPHA- Policy Committee Co-Chair
Alexandra is a Colorado-born public health leader with nearly a decade of experience working at the intersection of community engagement, health equity, and systems change. She earned her Master of Public Health in Community Behavioral Health from the Colorado School of Public Health... Read More →
AH
AP
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

8:30am MDT

Systems Thinking in Action: A Public Health Teamwork Simulation
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
Public health professionals increasingly work in complex, interdependent systems where decisions made by one program, discipline, agency, or community partner affect outcomes across the broader public health infrastructure. Persistent challenges such as emergency preparedness, behavioral health access, communicable disease response, workforce shortages, health equity, and community trust require...
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Speakers
RR

Reesie Roland

University of Colorado Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education
(CU CIPE) at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, and Education Coordinator for the IPE foundational courses. She is certified in TBL Fundamentals; and has 15 years of experience administrating team-based curriculum, and 6 years of project management experience. Since... Read More →
avatar for Michelle Colarelli

Michelle Colarelli

MA, University of Colorado Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education
Michelle Colarelli, MA, is an Instructional Designer and Curriculum Manager at the University of Colorado’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, where she develops programs that advance collaborative, workforce-ready approaches to patient-centered care. With a background... Read More →
avatar for Kimberly Indovina, MD

Kimberly Indovina, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Dr. Kimberly A. Indovina is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She practices hospital medicine and palliative medicine at Denver Health, an urban academic safety-net hospital. She also serves as an Assistant Director of the CU Center for Interprofessional... Read More →
EB
EF
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

8:30am MDT

Turning Community Voice and Local Data into Public Health Action
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Public health professionals are often asked to communicate complex community needs, program impact, and next steps in ways that are clear, compelling, and useful for both community members and local decision-makers. However, many communication products rely heavily on data tables, long reports, or technical language that may not fully reflect community priorities or support timely action. This...
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Speakers
avatar for Nicole Zwick

Nicole Zwick

Senior Evaluator, University of Colorado Anschutz
Nicole Zwick is a public health researcher and Senior Evaluator with the Community Epidemiology and Program Evaluation Group (CEPEG) at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. She supports community-based programs that enhance chronic disease and tobacco prevention efforts among... Read More →
SP
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

8:30am MDT

Cultivating Equity and Empathy in Public Health Practice
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Public health professionals are increasingly called to address complex inequities rooted in systemic racism, trauma, and historical mistrust. Yet many professionals have not been given the tools to navigate conflict, build authentic trust across difference, or recognize how implicit bias and emotional responses impact communication with strategically undervalued populations. This skill-building...
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Speakers
KO
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

8:30am MDT

Colorado Immersion Training: Building Capacity in Community Engagement
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 1
Public health professionals know that meaningful change starts with community. Yet building authentic, lasting community partnerships is often learned on the job, without the time, training, or infrastructure to do it well. When engagement is rushed or surface-level, interventions don't fit local realities, participation lags, and the trust we depend on erodes. Strengthening community engagement...
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Speakers
KR
MT
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

8:30am MDT

Communicating Public Health in Complex and Contested Spaces
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 3
Public health professionals are increasingly required to engage in complex, and often contentious, conversations—particularly around vaccines and other high-profile health issues. While access to accurate information is essential, research consistently shows that data alone is insufficient to influence decision-making or build trust. There is a clear need for skill development in communication...
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Speakers
HP
Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

10:00am MDT

Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:00am - 4:15pm MDT
Main Lobby
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:00am - 4:15pm MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction

10:15am MDT

Crisis as a Catalyst: How Outbreak Response Shaped Our Culture and Capacity
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Grace Nelson

Grace Nelson

BS in Environmental Health, BA in Spanish Language Studies, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment
Grace Nelson currently serves as the Disease Intervention Unit Supervisor in the Epidemiology and Data Science program at the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment where she leads a team of Disease Intervention Specialists. In addition to conducting investigations of reportable... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

10:15am MDT

Denver's CHA: Leveraging Tech & Innovation for Community-Driven Results
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) showcases how an equity-centered, technology‑enabled Community Health Assessment (CHA) can elevate community voice, strengthen data integration, and produce actionable insights to guide health improvement planning. Following the MAPP 2.0 framework, DDPHE redesigned its CHA to prioritize community empowerment, strengthen analysis, and...
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Speakers
PA
NK
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

10:15am MDT

The AI Remix Lab: Practical AI Skills for Real Public Health Work
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 4
Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere, in the news, in our inboxes, and increasingly in our workflows, but for many public health professionals, the big question remains: how does this actually help me do my job? This interactive skill-building session is designed for practitioners who are curious about AI but haven't yet found their footing. No prior expertise required, just an...
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Speakers
HH

Holen Hirsh

PhD, Omni Institute
As Omni Institute’s first Head of Innovation, Dr. Holen Hirsh leads the organization’s efforts to build new tools, expand services, and explore forward-thinking pathways that help clients and communities drive lasting social change. Her work focuses on reimagining how social science... Read More →
AK
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

10:15am MDT

Beyond the Checklist: Building Internal Motivation in Youth
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 2
Rural youth face compounding barriers to behavioral health — geographic isolation, limited access to mental health services, under-resourced schools, and systems that too often focus on managing behavior rather than building capacity. The result is young people who cycle through school discipline, diversion, and family crisis programs without ever developing the internal skills to interrupt that...
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Speakers
avatar for Rhonda Jo

Rhonda Jo

Owner/Founder, Soul Grower Industries
Rhonda Jo is the founder of Soul Grower Industries, a youth development organization based in Logan County, Colorado. She developed The Messy in Between (MiB)—an identity-based coaching framework built around SEL, values clarification, and cognitive behavioral skills—delivered... Read More →
avatar for Cade Conger

Cade Conger

Youth Specialist, Soul Grower Industries
Cade Conger joined Soul Grower Industries permanently in 2025 after studying Psychology at BYU-Idaho. He delivers Messy in Between coaching through the Logan County Collaborative Management Program and serves as a caseworker for the Colorado Youth Detention Continuum in the 13th Judicial... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

10:15am MDT

Holding the Line: Practice, Care, and Sustainability in Public Health
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak II
Public health professionals are being asked to advance equity and anti-racist practices while working within systems shaped by funding requirements, tight timelines, staffing shortages, and competing priorities. Equity is often named as a value, yet many practitioners wrestle with what it looks like in everyday decisions—program planning, community partnerships, internal governance, and resource...
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Speakers
KE
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

10:15am MDT

Crafting Narratives for Health Policy Change
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak III
Policies founded in evidence-based public health research and practice have the potential to benefit people and sustainably improve community health. Many policymakers want the information that public health practitioners and researchers can provide. However, evidence and research with policy implications frequently fails to make it into the hands of decision makers or is not packaged in a way...
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Speakers
AR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

10:15am MDT

AI in Public Health: Prompting, Verification, and Practice
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak I
Public health professionals are increasingly moving beyond introductory conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) and seeking practical skills that support responsible integration of AI into everyday work. As generative AI tools become more common across public health practice, research, teaching, communication, and administration, workforce development efforts must also evolve to address...
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Speakers
avatar for Molly Gutilla

Molly Gutilla

DrPH, Colorado School of Public Health
Molly Gutilla is Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University and the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, where she also serves as Director of the Rural Public Health Initiative. Her work focuses... Read More →
avatar for Shelbi DesJardin

Shelbi DesJardin

MPH, Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO)
Shelbi DesJardin serves as the Director of Data Strategy at the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO), where she leads statewide efforts related to local public health data modernization strategy, implementation, and capacity-building. Her work focuses on... Read More →
DC
US

Umit Shrestha

Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Public Health
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

10:15am MDT

Science, jargon, and equity: why clear info is critical to public health
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background / Purpose: Public health depends on our ability to not only interpret complex science, but to inspire action through communication. Behavioral and social sciences provide the critical “how” for this mission. This session serves as a primer on risk communication science, designed to help professionals move beyond traditional messaging models and address community needs through...
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Speakers
avatar for Kristy Richardson

Kristy Richardson

PhD, CDPHE
For over a decade, Kristy has applied her background in toxicology to support CDPHE’s environmental public health efforts. Working across the department’s environmental and public health divisions, she bridges the gap between environmental policy and public health protection to... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

10:15am MDT

Embedding Youth as Partners: Building a Roadmap for Youth Engagement
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Traditional mental health research has often limited the involvement of underrepresented groups, including youth, in research development, limiting the applicability of findings and reinforcing inequitable power dynamics. Although evidence demonstrates that engaging youth in all phases of the research process improves relevance, youth participation remains limited to passive roles rather than...
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Speakers
avatar for Stephanie De Jesus Ayala

Stephanie De Jesus Ayala

MS, Childrens Hospital Colorado
Stephanie De Jesus Ayala is a Program Manager at Partners for Children’s Mental Health. She leads the school's team and supports the PSP for PCPs program as well as the Youth Engagement Program. Stephanie is a first-generation graduate with a Master's in Clinical and Counseling... Read More →
AG
SA
MM
VT
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

10:15am MDT

From Self-Care to Co-Care: The Science and Skill of Co-Regulation
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 1
In an increasingly individualistic society, the prevailing narrative suggests that "self-care" is the primary antidote to burnout and trauma. We are told that if we only practice enough mindfulness or take enough bubble baths, we can endure any professional or systemic stressor. However, for a social mammal, the idea of regulating purely in isolation is a biological fable. Human beings have...
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Speakers
avatar for Kate Follett

Kate Follett

RN, BSN, Jefferson County Public Health
Kate Follett’s commitments to babies and to equity took root early, embodied by the quiet preschooler who refused to abandon her beloved Black baby doll despite adult judgment and ridicule. That same instinct to challenge bias and uplift babies’ voices now fuels her leadership... Read More →
CH
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

10:15am MDT

Just Picture It! An Introduction to a Systems Thinking Tool
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 3
Public health is facing decreasing funding and increasingly complex health challenges like high rates of chronic diseases, substance misuse, multi-state outbreaks, rising suicide rates, and natural disasters. There are no single, simple solutions to these problems and no organization can do it alone. To affect system-wide changes, we must first understand how the system is currently functioning...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Davis

Sarah Davis

MNM, Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center - Colorado School of Public Health
Sarah Davis is the Co-Director of the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Centers (RM-PHTC) based at the Colorado School of Public Health. RM-PHTC is a member of the Public Health Training Center Network and is one of the 10 HRSA-designated Regional Public Health Training Centers... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

11:30am MDT

Collecting and linking hospitals’ publicly available data to CO APCD
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background / Purpose: The Hospital Price Transparency Rule requires hospitals to publicly post pricing information for services rendered; however, the usability, and the completeness of these data remain uncertain. This project aims to systematically collect and compile publicly available hospital pricing data into a structured repository and compare these data with the Colorado All-Payer Claims...
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Speakers
AG
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

11:30am MDT

Firearm Access Among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native Youth in Colorado
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
Analysis Focus: This study analyzes patterns of firearm access among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth in Colorado, with a specific focus on rural populations. The primary objective is to estimate the prevalence of firearm access among rural AI/AN youth and to assess whether access differs by geographic context. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey...
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Speakers
avatar for AbbyLynn Wilhelm

AbbyLynn Wilhelm

Clinical Research Coordinator, Colorado School of Public Health - AMC
Hello! I am a second-year MPH student at the Colorado School of Public Health. My academic research pursuits surround IVP in Colorado youth and American Indian / Alaskan Native populations. My undergraduate background is in Communication from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

11:30am MDT

Leveraging Local Partnerships to Enhance Colorado Private Well Stewardship
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 4
In the United States, ~14.1% of the population relies on private wells for drinking water. In Colorado, that estimate is closer to 7%. Although the Safe Drinking Water Act charges the Environmental Protection Agency with setting regulations for water quality to ensure that specified contaminants are not present above the Maximum Contaminant Level, private wells are not included under the umbrella...
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Speakers
IM
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

11:30am MDT

Measuring Impact, Not Just Outcomes: A Toolkit for Co-Response Evaluation
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 2
This presentation introduces a practical evaluation toolkit developed specifically for co-response and alternative response programs. For public health professionals, this toolkit addresses a critical gap: how to measure what actually matters in behavioral health crisis response, moving beyond arrest and incarceration metrics toward outcomes that reflect health, well-being, and recovery. The...
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Speakers
avatar for Stacey McClellan

Stacey McClellan

MSW, Omni
Mrs. McClellan, MSW, is a Researcher Manager at OMNI and brings over eight years of clinical experience working in hospital, school-based, and community mental health settings. During her time in the field, she has worked with justice-involved individuals, helping individuals and... Read More →
JM
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

11:30am MDT

Routine Syphilis, HIV, and HCV Testing in CSH Denver Emergency Departments
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: FOCUS is a novel HIV, HCV, Syphilis screening program which launched on 1/1/2025 at St. Anthony North, 84th Ave, and St. Anthony Hospital emergency departments. This grant funded program with support from CDPHE and Gilead, is one of the first of its kind for the region and has served as a pilot program to provide evidence for efficacy in the state of Colorado. This showcase aims to...
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Speakers
JC
AS
MS
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

11:30am MDT

Enhancing Healthcare Disaster Readiness Through Regional PH Partnerships
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Healthcare emergency preparedness and response depend on strong collaboration between healthcare systems, public health agencies, emergency management organizations, and community partners. The Regional Disaster Health Response System (RDHRS) in Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region VIII was established to strengthen medical surge capabilities, improve regional coordination, and...
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Speakers
CP
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

11:30am MDT

Colorado EnviroScreen Version 3.0: Development and Public Outreach Report
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
Background: Colorado EnviroScreen, an interactive environmental justice mapping tool provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), was launched in 2022, and saw its first revision (version 2.0) in 2024. Colorado EnviroScreen brings together data about the environment, health, and socioeconomic factors to understand the cumulative impacts of environmental injustice...
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Speakers
avatar for Rani Kumar

Rani Kumar

Senior GIS Analyst, Colorado Deparment of Health and Environment
Rani serves as the Senior Geospatial Analyst for the Office of Environmental Justice at CDPHE. Prior to joining CDPHE, she worked as a GIS analyst with the Environmental Integrity Project, conducting air and water quality research related to oil and gas development.
She holds a Master of Environmental Management and certificates in geospatial analysis and community-based environmental management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Before her graduate studies, she worked as an elementary school science and Spanish te... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

11:30am MDT

HPV Vaccine Communication for Non-Clinicians in A Primary Care Setting
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background: Medical assistants (MAs) and nurses are often among the first to discuss vaccination with families in primary care, yet little is known about how they communicate about HPV vaccination. Their interactions may shape parental perceptions, prime clinician conversations, and influence vaccine acceptance, but their communication practices have not been described. This study aimed to...
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Speakers
DH
EL
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

11:30am MDT

Stronger Together: Building Colorado’s Rural Public Health Workforce
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Rural public health systems across Colorado continue to navigate complex workforce challenges related to recruitment, retention, infrastructure, training capacity, and evolving community health needs. At the same time, rural communities, public health agencies, academic institutions, and community partners are developing innovative and relationship-centered approaches to strengthen workforce...
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Speakers
avatar for Molly Gutilla

Molly Gutilla

DrPH, Colorado School of Public Health
Molly Gutilla is Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University and the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, where she also serves as Director of the Rural Public Health Initiative. Her work focuses... Read More →
NC
DC
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

11:30am MDT

A Social Return on Investment Study of a Perinatal Substance Use Initiative
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 1
Background: Public health and quality improvement (QI) initiatives are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable value alongside clinical outcomes. Practical applications of Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology in maternal health QI remain limited. The Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC) partnered with the Center for Social Investment at Omni Institute to conduct...
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Speakers
avatar for Julia Simhai

Julia Simhai

MPH, Omni Institute
Julia Simhai (she/her), MPH, is a Director at Omni Institute, where she leads evaluation, applied research, and strategic planning initiatives that translate complex public health data into actionable insight for funders, agencies, and communities. Her work routinely integrates epidemiologic... Read More →
AJ
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

11:30am MDT

Precision Public Health: Mapping Medicaid Shortages with the V2SFCA Model
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 3
Background / Purpose: Colorado faces significant healthcare access disparities driven by economic, geographic, and systemic barriers. Federal workforce shortage models fall short in modeling these gaps because they exclude non-physician clinicians, fail to capture demographic variations in demand, and use a relatively coarse geographic resolution. In 2018 in response to these limitations, Board of...
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Speakers
LT

Laura Thompson

MPH, MA, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Laura Thompson is a cross-disciplinary public health analyst specializing in geospatial epidemiology. She serves as a Health Workforce Analyst and Chronic Disease GIS Specialist within the Prevention Services Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

12:00pm MDT

Opening Keynote & Lunch Buffet
Tuesday September 22, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom

Speakers
DD

Dr. David Rojas-Rueda PhD

Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Public Health & Colorado State University
Dr. David Rojas-Rueda, MD, MPH, Ph.D. is at the forefront of merging environmental health, justice and equity into a cohesive research agenda that spans Colorado, the United States and international borders. His expertise in environmental epidemiology, honed over a decade, places... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Lunch

1:45pm MDT

Beyond the Press Release: Building Trust Through Public Health Podcasting
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background / Purpose Public health agencies face increasing challenges in reaching communities due to misinformation, declining trust, and limited communications capacity. Traditional, reactive messaging is often insufficient to build meaningful engagement. This project examines the use of a locally produced podcast as a strategic communications tool to increase transparency, elevate trusted...
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Speakers
KH
JR
KS
JW
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

1:45pm MDT

The Power of Purposeful Partnerships
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 4
This session will highlight The Power of Purposeful Partnerships and how the Healthy Families Partnership (HFP) of Douglas County directly embodies the conference theme, Stronger Together. Established in 2023 in response to community-identified needs, HFP brings together 15 expert organizations—including all four county hospitals—to improve maternal and child health across the community....
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Speakers
KC
LL
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

1:45pm MDT

Using Family Voice to Strengthen Coordinated Public Health Approaches
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
Background/Purpose Health systems continue to face challenges related to fragmented referrals, disconnected services, and limited opportunities for family partnership in systems planning. Boulder County Public Health leveraged its community alignment infrastructure through Family Connects and created the Family Voice Ambassador (FVA) model to strengthen collaboration across public health,...
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Speakers
AR

Aurora Ramirez

Community Alignment Coordinator, Boulder County Public Health
Aurora Ramirez serves as a Community Alignment Coordinator with Boulder County Public Health for the Family Connects service and the Children with Special Needs program. She has worked for Boulder County Public Health for nearly ten years, supporting families through systems navigation... Read More →
FC
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

1:45pm MDT

Answering the Call: 988 Colorado Data, Trends, and Insights
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 2
The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line provides individuals experiencing emotional, mental health, or substance use concerns with 24/7 access to trained crisis specialists through call, text, and chat services. As Colorado continues to strengthen statewide behavioral health infrastructure, understanding how communities utilize 988 Colorado services and how the system can support broader public health...
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Speakers
avatar for Lauren Gant

Lauren Gant

Senior Evaluation Specialist, University of Colorado - The Evaluation Center
Lauren is a Senior Evaluation Specialist at The Evaluation Center. She is an applied social science researcher with extensive experience in program evaluation for a wide range of clients. She leads the evaluation of the Colorado State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup and co-leads... Read More →
JP
CR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

1:45pm MDT

Prevalence of Critical Congenital Heart Defects in CO Compared to the U.S.
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects, affecting approximately 1% of births annually in the United States. Critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs), comprising approximately 25% of CHDs, are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Elevated risk of CCHDs has been suggested among pregnancies occurring at moderately high altitude (4,921–8,202...
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Speakers
AJ
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

1:45pm MDT

TRAC Dashboard: Maximizing Tobacco Data Availability to Inform Local Change
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Background / Purpose: The tobacco retail environment is a critical touchpoint for reducing youth tobacco and nicotine use and eliminating disparities. In Colorado, tobacco retailer licensing and compliance monitoring are managed by multiple agencies and published independently. The Tobacco Retail Access Colorado (TRAC) Dashboard integrates these disparate datasets into an interactive geospatial...
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Speakers
LT

Laura Thompson

MPH, MA, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Laura Thompson is a cross-disciplinary public health analyst specializing in geospatial epidemiology. She serves as a Health Workforce Analyst and Chronic Disease GIS Specialist within the Prevention Services Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In... Read More →
SS
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

1:45pm MDT

Community Resilience and Public Health Lessons 5 years post-Marshall Fire
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak I
The 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed over 1000 homes and damaged hundreds more in Boulder County. Approaching the five year anniversary of the state’s most destructive wildfire, this session will share lessons from our community-engaged research and facilitate an audience discussion about how public health scientists, practitioners, and policy-makers can support community health post-disaster. The...
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Speakers
KD
HW
JL
CR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

1:45pm MDT

Skip the Hit: Youth as Public Health Partners in Media Campaign Development
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background: Youth nicotine use remains a public health concern and is closely connected with mental health. Public health campaigns are often adult-led and rely on deficit-based, abstinence-focused messaging that may limit meaningful youth engagement and behavior change. In contrast, Skip the Hit, a youth-led, co-designed media campaign, applied the Social Justice Youth Development framework by...
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Speakers
avatar for Susan Westhof

Susan Westhof

Partnerships and Systems Change Specialist, Jefferson County Public Health
Susan Westhof is a Partnerships and Systems Change Specialist at Jefferson County Public Health with nearly 20 years of experience in tobacco control, including more than a decade leading tobacco-related media initiatives. Her broader public health experience includes advancing community-based... Read More →
LL
RL
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

1:45pm MDT

More Than Words: Advancing Language Justice in Public Health Systems
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background/Purpose: Language Justice is the principle that all people have the right to communicate, understand, and be understood in their preferred language and that all languages should be valued equally. Within public health and environmental settings, effective language services are essential to equitable community engagement and meaningful participation in decision-making processes. At the...
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Speakers
MC

Marina Canavoso

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Marina is originally from Argentina, where she earned a double bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and Translation. She initially planned to work full-time as a teacher while taking on occasional translation projects. However, after moving to the United States... Read More →
LA
TJ
CR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

1:45pm MDT

Participatory Mapping as a Tool for Strengthening Food Systems Evaluation
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
The Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids initiative (HFDK), established through a 2018 ballot measure, expands access to healthy food and food-based education for children and families. HFDK funds nonprofit organizations, local government entities, and public schools working across Denver’s food system. CAI serves as the external evaluator, developing shared process and outcome measures, tools, and...
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Speakers
avatar for Young Mi Cho

Young Mi Cho

Evaluation Associate, CAI
Young Mi Cho is an Evaluation Associate at CAI and is happy to be part of the external evaluation team for the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids city initiative. With a background in academia and public policy, she brings a thoughtful and analytical approach to her program evaluation... Read More →
AD
LS
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

1:45pm MDT

Reclaiming Purpose: A Reflective Ritual for Public Health Leaders
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
Public health professionals are navigating increasing levels of burnout, compassion fatigue, workforce strain, and disconnection from the deeper purpose that brought them into this work. This interactive wellness and professional development session is designed to create intentional space for reflection, restoration, and reconnection through guided journaling, facilitated mindfulness practices,...
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Speakers
KO
Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

3:00pm MDT

Addressing the Unmet Need of People with IDD From The Colorado DD Council
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
The Colorado Community Survey Data Results Report offers a comprehensive, statewide snapshot of the lived experiences, challenges, and priorities of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. Across 503 responses, 288 of which were validated, participants shared a resounding call for systems that are accessible, person-centered, and inclusive across...
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Speakers
avatar for Yadiel Tesfaye

Yadiel Tesfaye

Planning & Evaluation Specialist, Colorado Department of Human Services
Hello, my name is Yadiel. I am a recent graduate from the Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado School of Public Health, with a Masters in Public Health. My capstone poject was a survey-based project with the Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program (CHIP). Currently, I am working... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:00pm MDT

Building Community Health Capacity Through Long Term Engagement Partnership
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background: Health equity requires sustained, meaningful partnerships with communities most affected by health disparities. This presentation will outline how the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute’s Community Engagement Core (CCTSI CE) has built a pipeline of programming, training, coaching, and leadership grounded in long-term community partnerships. We will show how...
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Speakers
MF
KR
DN
MT
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:00pm MDT

Generating Shared Insights from HealthSpace with Power BI Reporting
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
This project describes the development of a standardized and semi-automated Environmental Health (EH) performance dashboard (Power BI) designed to improve reporting consistency, support program evaluation, maintain accountability and strengthen data-informed decision-making across EH programs. The dashboard supports public health professionals by reducing manual reporting burden, improving...
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Speakers
PR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:00pm MDT

Improving CO Birth Outcomes: Physiologic Labor and Trauma-Informed Training
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
Background / Purpose: The state of Colorado continues to see variation in cesarean birth rates by facility and persistent disparities in maternal outcomes, highlighting the need for consistent, evidence-based labor support. Trauma-informed care and physiologic birth practices are proven strategies, but they are not reliably integrated into everyday care. The CPCQC Labor Support Workshop was...
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Speakers
SC
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

3:00pm MDT

Strengthening Public Health Measurement through Factor Analytic Methods
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Stigma surrounding substance use remains a major barrier for people seeking overdose prevention services, treatment, and recovery support. First responders interact daily with individuals who use drugs and play a critical role in overdose response, care, and support. As overdose prevention increasingly relies on cross-sector collaboration, reliable assessment tools are needed to measure knowledge,...
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Speakers
JJ

Jessy Jiao

PhD, MPH, CPH, City and County of Denver
Jessy is an analyst in the division of community and behavioral health at the Denver department of public health and environment, where she has worked for 3.5 years. Jessy has over a decade of experience in research, mixed-methods analytical work, and public health practice. She supports... Read More →
EC
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

3:00pm MDT

Reconnecting with CDPHE's Open Data website: Maps, Local Data and More!
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Background/Purpose: Searching for data to support improving our public health planning has never been easier. Navigating through, summarizing, visualizing and making sense of the data remains difficult. To make your job easier and to promote community engagement with data, CDPHE’s team of mapping experts are promoting the use of our Open Data website. What is Open Data? A free and easily...
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Speakers
VP

Vishnu Panicker

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vishnu Panicker is a GIS Integration Analyst at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and is the website application developer for the relaunch of the Colorado Community Inclusion maps. Mr. Panicker has worked at CDPHE since 2023 supporting disease control, immunization... Read More →
DW
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

3:00pm MDT

Nothing About Us Without Us: Why Youth Voices Matter in Tobacco Education
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
How local government engages with young people is crucial in shaping the future development of a community. Adult-centrism refers to the bias that our society places on the views of adults in comparison to that of young people. Beyond the physicality of educational spaces, youth are often viewed as only passive recipients of services within these spaces, rather than as active participants who can...
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Speakers
avatar for Destini Hall

Destini Hall

Tobacco and Youth Senior Health Educator, Larimer County Department of Health and Environment
Destini Hall serves as the Tobacco and Youth Senior Health Educator for the Nicotine Awareness and Tobacco Prevention team at Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. She holds strong values in health and wellness, equity, and community care that she continually uses as... Read More →
MM

Maria Macias

Tobacco and Youth Program Coordinator, Larimer County Department of Health and Environment
Maria Macias Chavez serves as the Tobacco and Youth Program Coordinator for the Department of Health and Environment at Larimer County. She has a masters in public health in community health education from the Colorado School of Public Health. She received a bachelor’s degree in... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

3:00pm MDT

Colorado County Profiles: Local Data for Community Health Planning
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Colorado’s rural communities often face unique health care challenges, including provider shortages, longer travel distances for care, and limited access to timely, locally relevant data to support community health assessment and planning. Yet county-level health care data are frequently fragmented across multiple systems, making them difficult to access and interpret. To address this gap, the...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Ford

Sarah Ford

Health promotion/program delivery, Center for Improving Value in Health Care
Sarah Ford works at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), where she supports the development of public-facing tools and communications strategies that help communities better understand and use Colorado All Payer Claims (CO APCD) data. Her work focuses on translating... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

3:00pm MDT

Healthy Kids, Stronger Futures: Transforming Substance Use Prevention
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
Youth substance use remains a critical public health concern, with prior Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) data (2017–2019) in Denver Public Schools (DPS) indicating concerning trends and a clear need for targeted intervention. In response, DPS established an intentional partnership with the Colorado School of Public Health to strengthen the collection, analysis, and application of student...
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Speakers
avatar for Caroline DeWitt

Caroline DeWitt

Ed.S., NCSP, Denver Public Schools
Caroline DeWitt, Ed.S., NCSP, is a licensed School Psychologist with Denver Public Schools, where she serves as the Senior Manager of Universal Student Well-Being. In this role, she leads district-wide initiatives across 198 schools, including Substance Use Prevention and Intervention... Read More →
HW

Haley Witt

Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator, Colorado School of Public Health
Haley Witt (she/her) is a Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator at the Injury and Violence Prevention Center, supporting the School & Youth Survey Team. She focuses on building and maintaining strong relationships with school districts and community partners to facilitate participation... Read More →
LR

Leah Raffa

CCPS II, Denver Public Schools
Leah Raffa has worked as a Prevention Specialist for Denver Public Schools since August 2016. Prior to joining the DPS team, Leah worked for the Denver Office of Drug Strategy, where she worked to connect youth in Denver with resources needed to make safe and healthy decisions regarding... Read More →
HF
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

3:00pm MDT

Strengthening Local Data Capacity: Shared Tools & Technical Assistance
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
Across 2024-2025, the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO), in partnership with the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and local public health agencies (LPHAs), conducted a statewide data assessment to better understand local public health data capacity. Using a mixed-methods approach that included journey...
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Speakers
avatar for Samie Stephens

Samie Stephens

MPH, Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO)
Samie Stephens serves as the Public Health Data Modernization Liaison for the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO). In her role, she works closely with local public health agencies to help them use data more effectively for strategic planning and day-to-day... Read More →
avatar for Shelbi DesJardin

Shelbi DesJardin

MPH, Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO)
Shelbi DesJardin serves as the Director of Data Strategy at the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO), where she leads statewide efforts related to local public health data modernization strategy, implementation, and capacity-building. Her work focuses on... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

3:45pm MDT

Collaboration That WORKS: A New Health Systems & Public Health Partnership
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background: In December of 2024, Denver Metro non-profit hospitals met with local public health partners to form a unique collaborative addressing the following needs: Lack of awareness about Community Health Needs Assessment processes, gaps in communication between Public Health and Health Systems, and duplicative programming and assessment efforts. Methods: Meeting monthly, this group became...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Mauch

Sarah Mauch

MPH, Broomfield Public Health and Environment
Sarah began her public health career 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, leading to diverse experiences in locations like Senegal, Portugal and Des Moines, Iowa. Her work has encompassed HIV/AIDS prevention, maternal mortality review, and global pandemics.

Now, as the Health Planning and Systems Manager for the Broomfield Department of Public Health and Environment, Sarah oversees population data and implementation of Broomfield’s community health improvement plans. She highly values collaboration with community partners, including... Read More →
MR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:45pm MDT

Design Your Own Flourishing Fest: A Practical Framework
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 4
As first year medical students interested in medical student well-being, we initiated a literature review on well-being initiatives by medical training institutions. Our review revealed that while wellness interventions such as mindfulness, reflection, and compassion-based curricula have been well received and shown variable benefits in reducing stress and burnout, their effectiveness is limited...
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Speakers
avatar for Kristen Daly

Kristen Daly

Medical Student, Rocky Vista University
I'm a third-year medical student at Rocky Vista University with interests in psychiatry and technology. From March 2020 through May 2021, I worked with Boulder County's COVID-19 surveillance team, and I've also taught in communication and health across international development and... Read More →
KF
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:45pm MDT

Policy and Communication Reponses to Changes in Immunization Policy
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
Background: Several different factors influence public health policy, only one of which is scientific evidence. The current situation regarding the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a fascinating saga fueled by things like mistruths, misinformation, and disinformation while receiving support from cultural cognition, where individuals accept facts and perceived risks...
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Speakers
NC
NS
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Castle Peak 3 & 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

3:45pm MDT

Men’s Mental Health: Education and Policy to Address a Public Health Crisis
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 2
Men’s mental health is a growing public health concern marked by rising rates of suicide, substance use, and what are often described as “deaths of despair.” Despite these trends, men remain significantly less likely to seek help or engage in traditional health services. Compounding this challenge is the lack of coordinated public health infrastructure: there is currently no federal Office...
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Speakers
JV

Jason Vitello

Adams County Public Health Dept
Jason Vitello is a nationally recognized equity-centered public health practitioner, strategist, educator, policy advocate, and community activist. He is committed to the advancement of justice, equity, and healing in our communities, and within the systems that serve them. Jason... Read More →
GB
SR
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

3:45pm MDT

Identifying Gaps in Measles Immunity Using a Clinical Decision Support Tool
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: Measles outbreaks among unvaccinated communities are becoming increasingly common. Two outbreaks have been reported in Colorado within the last year, including an ongoing outbreak in Broomfield County. In response, Denver Health has implemented a clinical decision support tool, an Epic OurPractice Advisory (OPA), to identify gaps in measles immunity among adult patients. Methods: ...
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Speakers
CJ
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

3:45pm MDT

PM Exposure at School Athletic Fields and Childcare Centers in Utah
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Poor air quality poses risks to children and young adults, with student athletes being particularly vulnerable due to their elevated breathing rates during physical activity. To better characterize youth exposures, we deployed a network of low-cost sensors that measure outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 at 35 high school athletic fields across Utah, and that measure indoor PM2.5 and CO2 at 15 early childhood...
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Speakers
TM
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

3:45pm MDT

Building Community Resilience: A Feasibility Study of Low-Cost Air Cleaners
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak I
The Mountain West Hub (MWH), a partnership between the Colorado School of Public Health and community members in West Denver (WD) and the San Luis Valley (SLV), is conducting an implementation study on DIY indoor air cleaners. Both communities have expressed concerns about poor air quality, and DIY air cleaners offer an economical and effective solution for improving indoor air quality. The study...
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Speakers
NP
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

3:45pm MDT

Beyond Delivery: Improving Postpartum Care in Medicaid Through Partnership
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Improving postpartum care utilization among Medicaid members remains a persistent public health challenge. While roughly 70% of Coloradans access care within a year of delivery, only 66% of Medicaid-covered individuals do, and rates have dropped in recent years. To address gaps in postpartum visit completion and connect members to supportive services, Colorado Access and Family Connects partnered...
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Speakers
MB
AM
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

3:45pm MDT

Empowering Access: Transforming Mobile Healthcare Delivery in Colorado
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background / Purpose: Access to preventative care and outbreak response remains a persistent challenge for underinsured, uninsured, newcomer, and geographically isolated populations across Colorado. Childhood immunization gaps—particularly MMR rates among kindergartners remaining below 90%—highlight the need for innovative, scalable delivery models. This project asks: how can mobile clinic...
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Speakers
avatar for Lauren Brown

Lauren Brown

RN, MSN, CNL, CDPHE
Lauren is the Clinical Supervisor for the Mobile Public Health Clinic at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. A nurse for over 10 years, she has worked with the state in transforming mobile public health for the last 4 years. She has a BS in Sociology and Mediation... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

3:45pm MDT

Syringe Access Program Point-in Time (PiT) Survey
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 1
Background: In 2024, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) moved from collecting client-level data for all funded Syringe Access Program (SAP) interactions to an annual point-in-time survey (PiT). This change aligned with best practices for estimating demographic reach, client needs, and effectiveness of SAP services, while reducing data entry burden for SAP staff. ...
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Speakers
TL

Tinuke Laguda

Statistical Analyst, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Tinuke Laguda is a Statistical Analyst at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Over the past year, she has been working tirelessly on the point-in-time survey and has used the data to uncover insights that can be used to advocate for continued and increased... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

3:45pm MDT

Primary Care Readiness for Long COVID Care in Colorado
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 3
Background: Long COVID impacts thousands of Coloradans, causing a wide range of chronic symptoms requiring comprehensive care. Primary care is typically the first point of health system contact for patients experiencing Long COVID symptoms. As part of the Colorado Multidisciplinary Translation Network (CO-MTN) project, we surveyed primary care clinicians and staff from 17 different practices to...
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Speakers
avatar for Elena Broaddus

Elena Broaddus

PhD, MSPH, University of Colorado Anschutz
Elena T Broaddus-Shea PhD, MSPH is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She also serves as associate director of the Partners Engaged in Achieving Change in Health network (PEACHnet), a community- and practice-based research... Read More →
Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

4:15pm MDT

Opening Reception: Sunset Socializing, Sips, & Snacks
Tuesday September 22, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Tuesday September 22, 2026 4:15pm - 5:30pm MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Social
 
Wednesday, September 23
 

7:00am MDT

Audiobook Walking Club
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
Meet at Registration
Join us for a community walking club with other fellow book and audiobook lovers! Take time to enjoy your current book or enjoy chatting with new and/or friends.
Speakers
KV
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
Meet at Registration
  Wellness Session

7:00am MDT

Birding
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
TBA
Speakers
KW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
TBA
  Wellness Session

7:00am MDT

Nature as Medicine: The Power of Forest Bathing for Wellbeing Promotion
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
Meet at Registration
1. Engage in sensory‑based techniques that support nervous‑system down‑regulation and emotional recovery.

2. Identify nature‑based strategies that can be incorporated into clinical wellness, burnout‑prevention, or self‑care routines.

3. Experience how guided nature connection can enhance presence, reduce cognitive load, and improve overall wellbeing.
Speakers
DJ

Dr. Jenn Leiferman, PhD

Professor (CBH), Director (RMPRC), Founder (PMHW), Colorado School of Public Health
Dr. Jenn Leiferman, PHD, is a Professor at the Colorado School of Public health and has spent the last 20 years working in the area of mental health. Her research focuses on developing and testing prevention and treatment strategies for perinatal and child mental health. Recently... Read More →
DC

Dr. Charlotte Farewell, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor and Director, Population Mental Health and Wellbeing Concentration, Colorado School of Public Health
Dr. Charlotte Farewell, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor with the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center at the Colorado School of Public Health and Director of the Population Mental Health and Well-being concentration at the Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. Farewell’s... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
Meet at Registration
  Wellness Session

7:00am MDT

Running Activity
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
TBA
Speakers
GP
Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am MDT
TBA
  Wellness Session

8:00am MDT

Breakfast Buffet
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 9:15am MDT
Columbine Ballroom
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 9:15am MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Breakfast

8:00am MDT

Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 4:30pm MDT
Main Lobby
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 4:30pm MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction

8:00am MDT

Registration
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 4:30pm MDT
Main Lobby
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00am - 4:30pm MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Registration

8:45am MDT

Poster Presentation & Judging
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano

Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

A Student-Led Toy Drive: Program Evaluation and University Belonging
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
University campuses are diverse ecosystems of students, faculty, and staff, many of whom are involved in the care of children and dependents. College student parents (CSPs) and other campus guardians struggle to find ways to integrate this identity with their campus roles. These challenges include standard access barriers and a sense of belonging to an environment where the focus is to develop and...
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Speakers
MG

Madison Gremillion

MPHc, University of Northern Colorado
Madison is a Master of Public Health candidate in the Colorado School of Public Health Community Health Education concentration at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). She has a BS in Biomedical Sciences from UNC, and is passionate about student research and authorship which... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Jackson

Sarah Jackson

MPH, University of Northern Colorado
Sarah C Jackson is a master's in public health graduate from the Colorado School of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Education and a Maternal and Child Health certificate. Deeply passionate about empowering communities by integrating health education and community... Read More →
CR
AL
HW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Accreditation In Action: Exploring PHAB’s Tools, Services, and Impact
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Public health accreditation is positioned as a powerful driver of performance and quality improvement, accountability, and community impact. This presentation explores how accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) strengthens health departments by advancing key Foundational Capabilities, including Assessment & Planning, Communications, Policy Development &...
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Speakers
ML
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Alcohol in rural Colorado – Impacts and Possible Interventions
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Alcohol is a leading underlying cause of injury, illnesses, and premature death in Colorado. This session will focus on identifying ways to effectively communicate and intervene to decrease alcohol’s harms in areas outside of the Denver metro area. The session will begin with a review of quantitative epidemiologic data on the alcohol’s adverse health impacts on key health outcomes (injuries,...
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Speakers
WB
RH
JS
AW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Awareness of Ordinances to Restrict Sales of Flavored Nicotine Products
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Public health policies, including tobacco regulations, are powerful tools for promoting health equity and behavior change. Since 2019, several Colorado communities have enacted policies to prohibit flavored nicotine sales to curb youth consumption. However, evaluating local impacts is challenging; standard behavioral surveys lack geographic granularity, and sales tax data is only...
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Speakers
avatar for Jill Bednarek

Jill Bednarek

MSW, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Jill Benarek is the Tobacco Policy Initiatives Supervisor at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She directs youth tobacco prevention and secondhand smoke initiatives for the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership. Jill has worked in tobacco control... Read More →
SC

Sara Cooper

PhD, MSPH, University of Colorado
Sara Cooper is the Director of the Community Epidemiology and Program Evaluation Group (CEPEG) and a Senior Clinical Instructor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the Colorado School of Public Health. With over 25 years of experience in Survey Research, and both... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Beyond Compliance: Building Action-Oriented CHA/CHIP Processes
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Community health assessments and community health improvement plans (CHA/CHIPs) are essential tools for public health accreditation, community benefit, funding alignment, and shared action. Yet many agencies and partners experience these processes as time-intensive compliance exercises that result in reports but do not always translate into feasible, measurable improvement strategies. This session...
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Speakers
avatar for Robyn Odendahl

Robyn Odendahl

Principal, Health Management Associates
Robyn Odendahl is a Principal at Health Management Associates (HMA) with expertise in community health assessment and improvement planning, stakeholder engagement, research and evaluation, facilitation, and strategic planning. She partners with public health agencies, healthcare organizations... Read More →
CL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Building Momentum for Statewide Change: Flavored Tobacco Policies
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background/Purpose: Youth use of nicotine products, particularly flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, continues to evolve rapidly and presents ongoing challenges for schools, families, and communities as well as substantial health risks. Local communities throughout Colorado are adopting evidence-based tobacco control policies to reduce youth access and exposure to these highly...
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Speakers
JR

Jodi Radke

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Jodi L. Radke is the Regional Director for the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains Region with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Jodi manages tobacco control policy for nine states, promoting and supporting legislation that prevents kids from starting tobacco use and assisting adults that... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Data Management & Team Engagement within a Natural Disaster Working Group
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
The Marshall Fire Resilience Work Group was formed in early 2022 in response to Colorado’s most destructive wildfire to date, which destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County at the end of December, 2021. Since its formation, the group has conducted a multi-wave household survey, interviews with community members and local-decision makers, policy analyses, and focus groups. Core values of the...
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Speakers
HW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Distance Traveled for Maternal Healthcare and Birth Outcomes in Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Access to maternal healthcare is essential for strong maternal and infant health, yet rural communities often face barriers to adequate care. This study investigates how maternal healthcare accessibility varies by rurality across Colorado counties and its impact on birth outcomes. We hypothesize that greater distance traveled to access maternal healthcare is associated with poorer...
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Speakers
TL

Tatum Lowenberg

Colorado School of Public Health
Tatum is a Master of Public Health candidate in the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University, concentrating in Health Communication. Her research interests are in healthcare accessibility, rural health, maternal health, and health equity.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Epidemiology of Invasive and Noninvasive Carbapenem-Resistant Infections
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background/Purpose: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections are a major healthcare concern. We compared risk factors, comorbidities, and outcomes of invasive and noninvasive CRE infections among a patient cohort identified through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infections Program Healthcare-Associated Infections Community Interface. Methods: We defined...
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Speakers
KH
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Evaluating Community-Driven Overdose Prevention
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background/Purpose: Overdose prevention efforts increasingly rely on community-based organizations to provide low-barrier, relationship-centered services that reach people underserved by traditional healthcare systems. This poster presents findings from the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment’s (DDPHE) Year 3 evaluation of selected activities within the CDC-funded Overdose Data to...
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Speakers
EC
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Health is Relationships: A Social Networks Study in Diverse Communities
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Social networks in minoritized communities are not peripheral to health systems; they are the primary structures through which care becomes possible amid structural inequities. This study conceptualizes social networks not simply as interpersonal connections but as critical health infrastructures that shape health experiences, including how health is understood and how communities collectively...
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Speakers
avatar for Paulina Erices Ocampo

Paulina Erices Ocampo

PhDc, IBCLC, University of Colorado - Denver
Paulina Erices-Ocampo is a Ph.D. candidate in Health and Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado Denver, holding a B.A. in Organizational Psychology from Penn State and an M.A. in Organizational Development from the University of Denver. An International Board Certified Lactation... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Helicobacter Pylori Transmission: Implications for Public Health
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram negative bacterium that thrives in acid rich environments like the stomach. Once inside a host's stomach, it causes a chronic infection that predisposes the host to gastrointestinal illness including gastric cancers (Vakil, 2025). Recognizing routes of transmission of H. pylori and employing interventions to prevent transmission is important...
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Speakers
avatar for Kathleen Hall

Kathleen Hall

Associate Professor, Colorado Mesa University
Kathleen Hall PhD, APRN, GNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC Dr. Hall obtained her PhD and MS degrees from the University of Arizona. Her area of research focuses on health promotion and disease prevention in vulnerable populations. She teaches in the nurse practitioner program at Colorado Mesa University... Read More →
SE
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Key Functional Drivers of Coalition Motivation to Build Resilient Programs
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background Public health coalitions are essential for community-level prevention, yet evaluation methods on effective coalition functioning remain unsystematic. This study investigated which coalition characteristics most effectively drive motivation to ensure the success of the Community Organizing for Prevention (COFP) program within their community, measured by the COFP coalition survey. ...
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Speakers
MC
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Launching Ahead: Using CFIR to Fast Track a Needs Assessment
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
This session examines how the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was applied within a statewide communicable disease needs assessment and strategic planning process in rural Wyoming. Rural public health systems face unique challenges related to geography, workforce limitations, stigma, funding instability, confidentiality concerns, and fragmented access to care. The purpose...
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Speakers
BC
TL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Linkage to Hepatitis C Treatment
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Here, we present a clinical initiative to proactively identify patients with HCV who have clinical encounters within a large healthcare system in Colorado (UCHealth) and connect them with treatment using a dedicated care navigator. A repository of patients previously diagnosed with HCV who were hospitalized was created by extracting positive HCV PCR test results from the electronic health record...
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Speakers
SM

Sarah Miller

CU Anschutz
Master's student at Colorado School of Public Health and the Hepatitis C Care Coordinator for CU Anschutz.
EB
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Live Training: Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background. The Colorado Pay for Performance (P4P) program provides funding to long-term care facilities that meet specific quality measures in antimicrobial stewardship (AS) and infection prevention and control (IPC). To support these initiatives, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) partnered with the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to deliver...
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Speakers
FL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Malnutrition Among People with Tuberculosis at Urban Public Health Clinic
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains the number one cause of mortality from an infectious disease globally. Malnutrition is both a driver and a result of TB and is associated with disease progression and unfavorable treatment outcomes. Methods: We reviewed medical charts for people starting treatment for active TB in seven Colorado counties to describe the prevalence of malnutrition and its...
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Speakers
JT
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Medicare Advantage Use and Spending vs. Traditional Medicare in Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background/Purpose: MA enrollment has grown rapidly nationwide and now represents a majority of Medicare enrollment in Colorado. As enrollment patterns change, understanding differences in utilization and spending between MA and TM populations is increasingly important for public health planning, health system decision-making, and policy discussions. This study evaluated enrollment growth,...
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Speakers
KL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

No-show Appointments: Identifying Gaps and Opportunities for Intervention
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: As part of Colorado's largest safety-net hospital system, the Infectious Disease Clinic at Denver Health provides primary care for patients living with HIV and follow-up care for other serious infections. The clinic experiences a 20% no-show rate for appointment outcomes, defined by an unanticipated patient absence from a scheduled appointment. Missed appointments disrupt care...
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Speakers
AB

Ashley Bader

Data Scientist, Denver Health
Ashley Bader (she/her) is a Data Scientist on the Data Science and Informatics team at the Public Health Institute at Denver Health. Her work focuses on transforming clinical and operational data into reports that support quality improvement projects, program evaluation, and grant... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Priority groups for public health interventions in Larimer County
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background / Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted multiple aspects of community health, including mental health, healthcare access, physical activity, and household economic stability. Although data collected in 2022 do not reflect current conditions in 2026, they provide an important early post-pandemic baseline to identify local public health priorities and populations requiring continued...
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Speakers
avatar for Sami Ullah Khan Bahadur

Sami Ullah Khan Bahadur

PhD Candidate, Animal Population Health Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University
Sami Bahadur completed a DVM and a Master’s in Pathology in Pakistan and is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Sciences with a focus on Epidemiology at Colorado State University through the Fulbright Program. He has a strong background in veterinary medicine, public health, and... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Safety, Sustainability & Savings: One Sharps Container at a Time
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
This session highlights a public health initiative aimed at improving clinical safety, reducing environmental impact, and lowering costs through the transition from single‑use to reusable sharps containers. The purpose of this work was to examine safety concerns related to sharps‑handling incidents across clinical and off‑site settings, assess the environmental burden of disposing nearly...
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Speakers
avatar for Talitha Appel

Talitha Appel

BSN, Arapahoe County Public Health
Talitha Appel is a registered nurse who serves as the Associate Director of Community Health Nursing at Arapahoe County Public Health, where she oversees the Community Health Nursing Operations team, including informatics, billing, and Employee Health & Wellness. Talitha is currently... Read More →
JG
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

The Effect of CAP Laws on Firearm Storage in US Households with Children
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background: Unsafe storage of firearms in households with children is associated with increased risk of suicide and unintentional injury. Since 2015, numerous states have passed Child Access Prevention laws (CAP laws) to reduce youth access to firearms. This study examines the association of CAP laws on unsafe gun storage among US households with children. Methods: A blocked cross-sectional study...
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Speakers
CC
DM
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

Trust, Engagement, and Health Communication in Digital Health Communities
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Background/Purpose: Social media influencers (SMIs) are increasingly shaping how individuals with health conditions access information about their health, engage with online support systems, and engage in behaviors and treatment. Online health communities are becoming pivotal spaces for health education, support, and behavioral influence. This ongoing mixed-methods study investigates health...
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Speakers
HP

Happy Phatak

Bachelor of Arts and Science, University of Colorado Boulder, expected May 2027, University of Colorado Boulder
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

8:45am MDT

War and the Pets of Ukraine
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
Emergency response in a war zone is a challenge for first responders and public health workers, requiring a highly collaborative and coordinated response. Practitioners must be able to provide care with limited resources, often with additional challenges including limited access to resources such as power, fuel, transportation, equipment, supplies and volunteers. In this poster, an early response...
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Speakers
JG

Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP emeritus, MPH

Public Health Veterinarian

Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:45am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

9:00am MDT

Poster & Exhibitor Showcase
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano

Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Red Cloud & Shavano
  Poster Presentations

9:30am MDT

Advancing Youth Vaping Prevention and Cessation Interventions
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background: Youth vaping has become a significant public health concern, with increasing numbers of young people using electronic vapor products. Emerging research links vaping not only to nicotine addiction, respiratory problems, and potential long-term effects on brain development, but also to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. Research on cessation treatments for...
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Speakers
avatar for Sedona Allen Moreno

Sedona Allen Moreno

BA, Denver Health Public Health Institute
Sedona is a Mother and multidimensional leader who weaves her passions together to cultivate collective healing. She specializes in authentic youth engagement. She has 10+ years of experience in public health, community organizing, and creatively addressing systemic inequities. Sedona... Read More →
BB
JC
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

9:30am MDT

Creating Clean Air Schools through Youth Participatory Action Research
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 4
Across the US, 7.4 million children are exposed to wildfire smoke annually. Children are one of the most susceptible populations to the health effects of air pollution, seen in changes in lung function, lung development, and existing respiratory disease exacerbation. Recent evidence also shows the mental health effects of wildfire smoke exposure, with children exhibiting symptoms of depression,...
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Speakers
LN
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

9:30am MDT

Randomized Care Navigation Intervention for Latent Tuberculosis Infection
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
Background/Purpose: Since 2016, 715 Coloradans have had a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-confirmed case of active tuberculosis. Many of these cases could have been prevented by treating patients’ latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) before it progressed to contagious, active tuberculosis disease. The care cascade for LTBI includes 1) chest x-ray completion, 2) treatment initiation,...
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Speakers
KK
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

9:30am MDT

Beyond Frequency: Cannabis Exposure Frameworks for Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
Colorado’s evolving cannabis landscape has created significant challenges for public health surveillance, clinical assessment, and research translation. Despite increasing product potency and diversification, including concentrates, edibles, and vaporized products, many healthcare systems continue to rely on binary or frequency-only cannabis screening approaches that provide limited insight into...
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Speakers
avatar for Margie Day

Margie Day

DHS, Colorado State University
Dr. Margie Day, DHS, MHS, MHSc, CHES, TTS, ACSM-CET, is an Assistant Professor of Health Science at Colorado State University Pueblo, where she teaches courses in epidemiology, health behavior, public health, planning and evaluation, and interprofessional education. She is currently... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

9:30am MDT

Hidden in Plain Sight: Lead Exposure Sources in Colorado Homes
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
Background / Purpose: The Colorado Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program conducts in-home environmental investigations for children and pregnant women with confirmed elevated blood lead levels at or above the CDC reference value of 3.5 µg/dL. All confirmed cases are contacted by a lead risk assessor and offered a free investigation. These investigations assess categories of potential lead...
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Speakers
AS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

9:30am MDT

Evaluating MSU Denver's Inclusive Peer Health Ed Program in Denver Schools
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background: Today more than ever, providing inclusive and comprehensive health education to youth and young adults is critical to support the promotion of health and well-being, particularly in our under-served communities. This presentation will demonstrate the application of evidence-based health education practices and health education curriculum through the MSU Denver Peer Health Education...
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Speakers
ES
VS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

9:30am MDT

Following Up on Food Insecurity: what happens after screening and referral?
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background: Primary care practices often screen for food insecurity. However, short-term patient outcomes after screening are not well understood. We used a mixed-methods approach to examine satisfaction with screening and connection to resources among adults screening positive for food insecurity at two Western Slope federally qualified health centers. Methods: Patients completed REDCap surveys...
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Speakers
EB
AN
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

9:30am MDT

One Health Mobile Outreach: An Innovative Model for Community Health
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 2
Access to care is an important component of One Health efforts to provide care to people and pets. One Health Mobile Outreach, currently being piloted in Colorado, is a novel and innovative enterprise that takes interprofessional teams, primarily volunteer, to underserved areas of Colorado to provide free healthcare services in the form of a Community Health Fair. Typically the communities served...
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Speakers
JG

Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP emeritus, MPH

Public Health Veterinarian

Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 2
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

9:30am MDT

STEP in Colorado: Developing a Statewide Fall Prevention Initiative
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 1
Background Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults in Colorado, costing the state $739 million/year. Evidence-based fall prevention programs exist, but they’re underutilized and not systematically implemented statewide. The multi-year Scaling Trusted Evidence-based Fall Prevention (STEP) initiative scales evidence-based fall-prevention programs across Colorado and evaluates...
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Speakers
CH

Christie Hartman

University of Colorado Anschutz
Christie Hartman, PhD, is a senior research scientist with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She has 20 years of experience working in health research in both academic and federal government settings. Her current work focuses on improving... Read More →
RL

Rachel Lockwood

University of Colorado Anschutz
Rachel Lockwood, MPH, is an epidemiologist with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. Her work focuses on improving health outcomes for older adults, particularly through fall prevention and community-based interventions. She is part of the research... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

9:30am MDT

Creation of a Public Health Curriculum for the APP Learner:
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 3
APPs (Advanced Practice Providers) provide both clinical care and clinical education to APP learners across numerous health systems in Colorado. APP training pathways have significantly fewer clinical hours than physician training models, therefore creation of high-quality clinical education programs for APP learners is all the more important to ensure ongoing high quality medical care for our...
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Speakers
JR
EW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

10:15am MDT

Sharing Power for Better Data & Relationships: CDPHE's Baby & You Program
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
BACKGROUND: Data equity is key to advancing health equity. Intentional oversampling or priority populations paired with shared decision making with communities can support the collection of more inclusive and meaningful data that reflects the values, cultures, and strengths of the communities we seek to represent. METHODS: To inform programs and policies that advance health equity for birthing...
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Speakers
CW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

10:15am MDT

Using Cumulative Impact Analysis to Advance Environmental Justice
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 4
This session will describe CDPHE's Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impacts Analysis work, including a pilot research study underway in the East Colfax neighborhood of Aurora. The presenter will discuss the study methodology, how it will offer a novel understanding of the effects of multiple environmental exposures, and the intended public health benefits to residents of the community. More...
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Speakers
MG
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

10:15am MDT

Building Regional Networks to Address Public Health Concerns
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 2
Background/Purpose: The Colorado State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) is a network of state agencies and data experts that collaborate to examine the patterns, context, and impacts of substance use to inform prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts across Colorado. In 2021, the Colorado SEOW conducted a statewide needs assessment with public health and prevention professionals that...
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Speakers
RH
DN
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

10:15am MDT

Test Yourself Colorado: Addressing STIs through at-home self-testing
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: Syphilis remains a public health priority nationally and in Colorado. Test Yourself Colorado (TYC) is an online, at-home STI testing program administered by the Denver Sexual Health Clinic that provides free mailed HIV tests and/or gonorrhea (GC) and chlamydia (CT) testing statewide. In 2026, TYC launched a pilot at-home syphilis self-testing program as an additional service for...
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Speakers
TS

Tennessee Salcedo Hernandez

Program Assistant, Public Health Institute at Denver Health
Tennessee is a Program Assistant at the Public Health Institute at Denver health, supporting the Denver Sexual Health Clinic and Immunization and Travel Clinic. Tennessee is the lead coordinator for the Test Yourself Colorado program and it's pilot, at home syphilis testing progr... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

10:15am MDT

Dental Cost and Utilization in Colorado: Insights from the CO APCD
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak III
Background: Syphilis remains a public health priority nationally and in Colorado. Test Yourself Colorado (TYC) is an online, at-home STI testing program administered by the Denver Sexual Health Clinic that provides free mailed HIV tests and/or gonorrhea (GC) and chlamydia (CT) testing statewide. In 2026, TYC launched a pilot at-home syphilis self-testing program as an additional service for...
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Speakers
avatar for Clare Leather

Clare Leather

MPH, Center for Improving Value in Health Care
Clare Leather is the Strategic Partnerships Manager and Public Reporting Program Manager at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC). Her work focuses on developing public-facing data resources and collaborative initiatives that improve access to actionable health care... Read More →
LS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

10:15am MDT

BREATHE: Advancing Equity in Pediatric Environmental Asthma Care
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak I
Background The ongoing substance use crisis continues to disproportionately impact rural communities with limited access to behavioral health services and high stigma surrounding substance use disorder (SUD). Las Animas and Huerfano rural Colorado counties show high rates of youth substance use, mental health concerns, and overdose risk compared to state averages. This project highlights the...
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Speakers
CB
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

10:15am MDT

Assessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Content Delivered in K-12 Public Schools in Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
The state of Colorado utilizes a unique model for delivery of SRH information in public schools. While the state encourages school districts to provide instruction on SRH topics, it does not mandate that such content be provided to all students. Instead, the state stipulates that if a district chooses to provide SRH instruction, it is required to do so in a way that is “comprehensive,...
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Speakers
RG

Rose Grose

Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado & Colorado School of Public Health
US

Umit Shrestha

Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Public Health
KD

Kelly DeBie

Legal Epidemiologist, Researcher & Lecturer, Colorado State University

Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

10:15am MDT

The Wellbeing of Place: Results from Colorado's Rural Health Equity Report
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Oral health is a critical component of whole-person health, yet significant gaps in access, utilization, and affordability persist across Colorado, particularly in rural and underserved communities. To address the lack of accessible statewide dental data, the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) partnered with the Colorado Dental Association to develop Colorado’s first public Dental...
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Speakers
avatar for Beck Furniss

Beck Furniss

Senior Policy Advisor, CDPHE - Office of Health Equity
Senior Policy Advisor at the CDPHE Office of Health Equity
avatar for Meredith Davis, M.S.

Meredith Davis, M.S.

Community Partnership and Engagement Manager, CDPHE - Office of Health Equity
Community Partnership and Engagement Manager at the CDPHE Office of Health Equity
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

10:15am MDT

Colorado SEOW 2026 Regional Profiles: Local Data for Community Action
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 1
Background: Rural populations experience a wide range of health disparities, including higher rates of cancer and heart disease death. Persistent inequities in the social determinants of health, such as lower access to quality public services, underlie many rural health disparities. Yet, rural contexts vary both across and within states, and the particular needs and resilience capacity of...
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Speakers
AC

Angela Castillo

Colorado Department of Public Health and Envirnment
Angela Castillo serves as the evaluator for the Colorado State Epidemiological Outcome Workgroup (SEOW), which develops publications and presentations to inform local public health professionals about substance use and mental health trends in Colorado.
avatar for Lauren Gant

Lauren Gant

Senior Evaluation Specialist, University of Colorado - The Evaluation Center
Lauren is a Senior Evaluation Specialist at The Evaluation Center. She is an applied social science researcher with extensive experience in program evaluation for a wide range of clients. She leads the evaluation of the Colorado State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup and co-leads... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

10:15am MDT

Together Change the Narrative: A Rural Colorado Stigma Reduction Initiative
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 3
Regional networks can leverage the strengths of diverse organizations to address behavioral health service shortages. This presentation will overview a year-long translatable process for building and sustaining such networks, including a case example in which this approach was sequentially implemented across three different rural regions of Colorado to address nicotine use. The Regional Networks...
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Speakers
CA
KG
Wednesday September 23, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

11:00am MDT

Preparing the Dental Workforce for HPV Vaccination: Student Perspectives
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: As Colorado expands dental scope of practice to include immunizations related to oral and respiratory health, understanding future oral health professionals’ preparedness for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer prevention is essential. This study assessed HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to vaccinate among Colorado dental and dental hygiene...
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Speakers
KS

Kelsey Straw

University of Colorado Anschutz School of Dental Medicine
Kelsey Straw is a current DDS student at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Dental Medicine and an MPH student at the Colorado School of Public Health. She is a member of the CU School of Dental Medicine’s inaugural class of the Rural Oral Health Track and a recipient... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

11:00am MDT

Urban Heat, Ozone, and Asthma Disparities in NYC: A Multiscale Analysis
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background/Purpose: Urban heat islands accelerate ground-level ozone formation through photochemical reactions, creating compound exposures that increase asthma emergency visits by 6–8% per 1°C temperature rise. This study examines how surface temperature, ozone, and built environment factors jointly drive asthma prevalence across New York City. Methods: Asthma prevalence for 2,071 Census...
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Speakers
avatar for Huanchun Huang

Huanchun Huang

Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medi
Huanchun Huang, PhD, is an MPH student in the Environment, Climate & Health program at the Colorado School of Public Health (CU Anschutz). He holds a doctoral degree in Urban Planning from Tianjin University and has over a decade of research experience in urban heat islands, GIS/remote... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

11:00am MDT

Examining Stigmatizing Language in K-12 State Sex Education Laws in CO & AL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Over the past decade in the United States, there have been considerable shifts in policy around requirements of sexual education. A significant factor in this is the lack of policy at the federal level, allowing states to choose whether sexual education is a requirement at all. Currently, only 36 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring a form of sexual education to be taught in...
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Speakers
KW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

11:00am MDT

For The Youth, By The… Adults?: Youth-Driven Substance Use Programming
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Inside Out Youth Services (IOYS) believes that young people have an integral role in informing, shaping, and delivering programming responsive to health and wellness. By providing agency for young people to develop and facilitate educational programs, we recenter youth voice within their own care. IOYS serves LGBTQIA2+ young people ages 13-24 in a variety of modalities to best meet youth where...
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Speakers
AH
R
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

11:00am MDT

Addressing Psychological Birth Trauma: A Call to Action
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
BACKGROUND: Psychological birth trauma (BT) is a prevalent yet underrecognized complication of childbirth that can lead to short- and long-term impacts on maternal and family wellbeing. This study aimed to quantify the population-level burden of BT in Colorado and identify specific supportive interventions necessary for maternal recovery. METHODS: This mixed-methods public health study utilized...
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Speakers
CW
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

11:00am MDT

Bridging the Gap: Education and Resource Access to Address Period Poverty
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
Background: Menstrual health can significantly impact physical, mental, and social well-being. Period poverty is defined as "The lack of access to safe and hygienic menstrual products, inaccessibility to basic sanitation services, facilities, and menstrual hygiene education" (Jaafar et al., 2023). It is estimated that 25% of menstruators in the United States will experience period poverty at some...
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Speakers
KT

Kylie Turner

Student, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Kylie Turner is a senior in the Integrative Healthcare bachelor's program at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her previous research included work in a reproductive neuroendocrinology lab, where she conducted a project assessing environmental factors that contribute to hypogonadotropic... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

11:00am MDT

Enhancing HRQOL & Patient Activation: A Health Promotion Program Evaluation
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Chronic disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., with modifiable lifestyle factors contributing to disease burden. Lifestyle-based health programs that incorporate education and coaching have demonstrated improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and patient activation (ability to manage one’s health), both associated with better chronic disease...
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Speakers
JC
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

11:00am MDT

From Crisis to Connection: Building a medical clinic in a navigation center
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability often rely on emergency departments and 911 responses for urgent or primary care needs, contributing to system strain and fragmented care. We partnered with the Aurora Regional Navigation Center to co‑locate a FQHC‑based walk‑in clinic that provides same‑day primary care, behavioral health, and care coordination directly within...
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Speakers
SM
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

11:00am MDT

Stronger Together: Engaging French-Speaking African Communities
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background: French-speaking African immigrant communities in Colorado remain underrepresented in public health outreach, leadership initiatives, and Community Health Worker (CHW) development efforts. Language barriers, cultural differences, and limited access to culturally responsive health information may reduce engagement with public health systems. VIE Colorado partnered with the Patients...
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Speakers
AO
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

11:00am MDT

A Multi-Sector Communication Strategy for Functional Neurological Disorder
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background/Purpose: Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common neurological condition associated with disability, psychiatric comorbidity, stigma, fragmented care, and high healthcare utilization. Despite growing evidence supporting FND treatment, inconsistent diagnostic communication and limited provider education remain major barriers to engagement and continuity of care. This project...
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Speakers
JP
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

11:00am MDT

All in This Together: Strengthening Local Data Through Partner Support
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Community organizations know the importance of reliable, representative, local data, especially for smaller geographical areas and subpopulations. The landscape of local data is changing, and public health agencies need to adapt as well. Since 2007, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) has conducted a triennial household-based Community Health Survey (CHS) using...
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Speakers
MS

Maya Swanson

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Maya Swanson, MPH, is a Health Data Analyst at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, where she has worked for just over a year. She received her Master of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and holds a B.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Cell... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

11:00am MDT

Data Outputs Inform. Humans Decide: Decision Intelligence in Public Health
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background/Purpose: Public health professionals make complex decisions amid competing priorities, rapid change, limited resources, and expanding data. However, more data does not consistently lead to better decisions. Decision Intelligence (DI) is a framework that integrates data, human judgment, and context to improve decision quality. DI Maps relationships between actions and outcomes, enabling...
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Speakers
LF
Wednesday September 23, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

12:00pm MDT

Lunch Buffet
Wednesday September 23, 2026 12:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom

Wednesday September 23, 2026 12:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Lunch

12:15pm MDT

Panel Speakers: Stronger Together - Community Voices in Public Health
Wednesday September 23, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom
The panel will take place from 12:15pm - 1:15pm in the Columbine Ballroom. The audience is welcome to ask questions to the panelists. 
Speakers
DO

Daniel Oxendine

Cultural Anthropologist & Indigenous Scholar, Roanhorse Consulting
My name is Daniel Oxendine, and I’m a cultural anthropologist with a master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Denver. I’m an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and care deeply about Indigenous advocacy and ensuring Native voices are... Read More →
DO

Dawn Owens Robinson, MD

OBGYN, AdventHealth Medical Group OB/GYN at Louisville
Dawn Owens Robinson, MD, FACOG, is an OB/GYN serving adolescents and adults in the Erie, Westminster, Louisville, and surrounding areas. She is passionate about providing quality, evidence-based health care and working with her patients to meet their personalized health goals. Dr... Read More →
KC

Kimberly Chambers

Executive Director, SPLASH Youth of Northern Colorado
SPLASH supports LGBTQIA+ youth and their families to enrich and affirm their identities by creating positive social experiences, advocating for their rights, and building communities of belongingness so that young people can thrive. Our programming provides community, family, peer... Read More →
SL

Selina Lujan de Albers

Air Quality Specialist, The City of Fort Collins
Wednesday September 23, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Lunch

2:00pm MDT

Community-Based Organizations in Public Health and Supportive Partnerships
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
Background: The Trailhead Institute is a Public Health Institute and partners extensively with community-based organizations (CBOs). Community-driven solutions involve approaches that are led, informed, and sustained by the communities they aim to serve. This approach prioritizes local knowledge and equitable partnerships. These solutions take different forms and necessitate support from behind or...
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Speakers
GM

Gabriel Mansfield

Project Manager, Trailhead Institute
As a member of Trailhead Institute, Gabriel supports community partners with project development, administrative support, and programmatic technical assistance. Gabriel earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from Colorado State University and has experience in... Read More →
BR
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

2:00pm MDT

Riders on the Storm: Co-evaluating Health Equity Programming with Grantees
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background: Health equity initiatives in Colorado are navigating mounting uncertainty due to shifts in public funding and the social safety net. In September 2025, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Health Equity sustained a significant budget reduction to its Health Disparities and Community Grant program, which supports 27 grantees statewide to deliver...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Anne Hill

Dr. Anne Hill

Senior Data Specialist and Evaluator, CDPHE - Office of Health Equity
Senior Data Specialist and Evaluator at the CDPHE Office of Health Equity.
avatar for Dr. Cyril Bennouna

Dr. Cyril Bennouna

Principal Social Epidemiologist and Evaluator, CDPHE - Office of Health Equity
Principal Social Epidemiologist and Evaluator the CDPHE Office of Health Equity.
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

2:00pm MDT

Expanding Access: On-Site GC/CT Testing in Rural Public Health
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
Background / Purpose: Rural communities face significant barriers to STI care, including limited local services, transportation challenges, cost, and stigma. In Grand County, the public health department is the only provider of free/reduced-cost sexual and reproductive health services. We aim to evaluate whether implementing on-site (point-of-care) gonorrhea and chlamydia (GC/CT) testing in a...
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Speakers
avatar for Hannah Wynd

Hannah Wynd

Deputy Director, Grand County Public Health
Hannah is the Deputy Director for Grand County Public Health, the lead on Environmental Health, and the Program Director for Reproductive Health Services.
EB
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

2:00pm MDT

Examining the Association Between Long COVID and Medical Gaslighting
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Long COVID is a complex and emerging chronic condition. Patients frequently encounter provider interactions in healthcare settings where symptoms are invalidated, downplayed, or dismissed, a phenomenon known as medical gaslighting. This research sought to analyze if having symptoms of Long COVID was associated with higher odds of experiencing medical gaslighting, hypothesizing that it would be....
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Speakers
KS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

2:00pm MDT

Building the Table Before You Need It: Lessons in Cross-Sector Partnership
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
When the contract with the external evaluator for Colorado's Electronic Healthy Incentive Program (eHIP) pilot was canceled in early 2025, it left a gap: no evaluation funding and no clear path to capturing what the state was learning. What stepped in to fill it was a cross-agency workgroup that had been meeting informally for months with no fixed agenda, just an intention to share work and think...
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Speakers
avatar for Emily Bash

Emily Bash

MPH, RDN, CLC, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
As a Nutrition and Physical Activity Specialist, Emily Bash focuses on building capacity through strategic education and robust partnerships. Emily’s expertise extends to leading collaborative efforts, including planning, coordinating, and convening diverse groups of stakeholders... Read More →
EK
AP
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

2:00pm MDT

Heavy Metals in Groundwater: Predicting Risk to Prioritize Well Sampling
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
Background: Approximately 400,000 Coloradans rely on private wells for drinking water, leaving a significant portion of the state’s population outside the purview of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. While the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) offers subsidized private well testing for contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals in...
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Speakers
avatar for Alan Costello

Alan Costello

Environmental Public Health Analyst, CDPHE
Alan is an Environmental Public Health Analyst on the Colorado Environmental Public Health Tracking team at CDPHE. He is currently finishing a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame, where his research focused on using machine learning and climate data to predict... Read More →
avatar for Aki Suzuki

Aki Suzuki

MPH, CDPHE
Aki Suzuki is an Emerging Issues Scientist in the Toxicology and Risk Assessment Program (TARA) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Her work is focused on using data to understand environmental health issues, particularly those related to emerging... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

2:00pm MDT

The Lead on Lead: Educating Providers, Improving Competence
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
* Background / Purpose: Medicaid requires 100% of enrolled children to be tested for lead at 12 and 24 months of age. Yet in 2025, only 3.44% of Colorado Medicaid-eligible or enrolled children received testing at both ages. While the Colorado Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program passively expanded provider outreach through webinars and mailings, the program recognized that blood lead test...
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Speakers
avatar for Amanda Otamendi

Amanda Otamendi

MPH, CHES, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Amanda Otamendi, MPH, CHES, is an Environmental Health Educator in the Colorado Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from South Dakota State University and a Master’s... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

2:00pm MDT

Political Stress and Health Care Access Among Spanish-Speaking Immigrants
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Political rhetoric often stigmatizes immigrants as a drag on the U.S. health care system, but the Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) finds that immigrants use less health care than U.S.-born residents. The pattern is consistent for every form of health care use measured by the CHAS. It reflects a mix of interconnected factors, such as cost, access, and, more recently, fears about federal...
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Speakers
GS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

2:00pm MDT

Colorado Alcohol Impacts Coalition
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
The Colorado Alcohol Impacts Coalition (CAIC) is a newly formed statewide coalition dedicated to fostering a more healthful environment around alcohol use in Colorado. Excessive alcohol consumption remains a significant and often under-addressed public health concern, contributing to chronic disease, injury, mental health challenges, and health inequities across our state. CAIC brings together...
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Speakers
avatar for JK Costello

JK Costello

MD, MPH, Steadman Group
JK Costello, MD, MPH, develops population health plans for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. He is a founding member of the Colorado Alcohol Impacts Coalition. In addition, he founded the National Opioid Settlement Conference and Substance Use First Aid... Read More →
BB
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

2:00pm MDT

What Profits the People? Applying Business Strategy to Increase Utilization
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
* Background/Purpose: What happens when public health thinks like a business partnership? Faced with low referral volume into the Family Connects program, we adopted a business development/sales approach to drive utilization. This project examined the effectiveness of this strategy. Research question: Can a business development/sales approach increase referrals from physician offices into a...
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Speakers
LF
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

2:45pm MDT

AI in Public Health: Ethics, Bias, and Community Trust
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 4
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare systems, communications, education, social services, and public health infrastructure. Yet, many public health professionals have received little training on how to ethically evaluate, responsibly use, or critically respond to AI tools that increasingly shape community health outcomes, public trust, and access to information. As AI becomes...
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Speakers
KO
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

2:45pm MDT

The Human–Animal Bond in SDoH: Determinant & Moderator
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background: A growing body of research demonstrates that the human-animal bond (HAB) influences physical and mental health and health-related behaviors. However, prevailing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) frameworks do not account for this factor, despite its influence on care access, housing stability, and system engagement. This session examines how the HAB functions as both an independent...
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Speakers
AS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

2:45pm MDT

Advancing LGBTQ+ Data: The Journey and the Partnerships that Make it Happen
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 2
The ability of public health professionals and institutions to fulfill their missions of advancing community health has become increasingly fraught. With fewer resources and heightened pressure to divest from health equity, it is imperative that we work creatively and collaboratively to ensure the well-being of all those in our community. Together, the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), Broomfield...
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Speakers
avatar for Sara Torres

Sara Torres

MS, Broomfield Public Health and Environment
Sara Torres serves as a Public Health Data Analyst for Broomfield Public Health and Environment. Her work specializes in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, data-driven storytelling and decision-making, and making data accessible to the public through community... Read More →
avatar for Lindsey Whittington

Lindsey Whittington

Data and Analysis Manager, Colorado Health Institute
Lindsey is the Data and Analysis Manager at CHI and has focused on quantitative data collection, research, and analysis of public health surveillance systems. Lindsey is the data manager for the Colorado Health Access Survey. Lindsey holds a master’s degree in public health with... Read More →
AN
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

2:45pm MDT

Quantifying the ROI of Multisector Partnerships: Networks & Econometrics
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak II
BACKGROUND: Recently-enacted cuts in government funding for Medicaid, public health, and social service programs threaten to increase uncompensated medical care and medical debt levels as more people lose insurance coverage, experience preventable health conditions and seek treatment in costly emergency department and hospital settings. Intentional efforts to align medical, social, and public...
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Speakers
GM
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

2:45pm MDT

From Shade to Policy: A Cross-Sector Skin Cancer Prevention Model
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Skin cancer remains the most common cancer in the United States, yet prevention efforts continue to focus primarily on individual behavior change, with limited integration of environmental strategies that shape exposure. Public health agencies are increasingly recognizing the need to incorporate structural approaches into prevention programming. This session presents a collaboration between the...
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Speakers
avatar for Sara Tabatabaie

Sara Tabatabaie

Teaching Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Sara Tabatabaie (she/her) is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder, holding a PhD in Environmental Studies. Her work integrates environmental design, public health, and climate resilience, focusing on how spatial decisions... Read More →
TB

Tori Bloom

Climate Resilient Communities Manager, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Tori Bloom (she/her) is the Climate Resilient Communities Manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), where her work focuses on the integration of climate resilience and public health. She works across sectors at both the state and local level to address... Read More →
EL
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

2:45pm MDT

Strengthening Evidence Synthesis Through Hybrid AI-Assisted Workflows
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak I
As AI-assisted research tools continue rapidly expanding, public health researchers are increasingly faced with questions surrounding which tools are useful, how they can be integrated into evidence synthesis workflows, and what methodological and ethical considerations should guide their use. These challenges are especially relevant in interdisciplinary public health research, where fragmented...
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Speakers
ML
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

2:45pm MDT

Stronger Together Through Shared Risk and Protective Factors
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
In January 2025, Adams County Health Department (ACHD) launched a Shared Risk and Protective Factors (SRPF) internal Community of Practice (CoP) to strengthen collaboration across programs and increase collective impact on five interconnected health outcomes: chronic disease, mental health, substance use, suicide, and firearm violence. The CoP brings together over 20 staff from Nutrition, Nursing,...
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Speakers
SD
MS
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

2:45pm MDT

Community-Based Suicide Prevention in Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Suicide continues to be a prominent public health concern in Colorado, even as the statewide age-adjusted suicide rate has stabilized in recent years. Because suicide is complex and isn’t caused by a single factor, suicide prevention requires multiple strategies and diverse, collaborative partnerships - which the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention calls community-based suicide prevention....
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Speakers
DR
avatar for Tate Steidley

Tate Steidley

PhD, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Tate Steidley is the evaluator for the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention. He supports the Office with data collection and evaluation activities across a wide range of programs administered by the Office. He holds a PhD in Sociology and is passionate about helping the Office of... Read More →
KH
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

2:45pm MDT

Quantifying connection: Meeting needs for data on isolation and loneliness
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
To address local data needs, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) conducts a household-based Community Health Survey (CHS) using scientific random sampling to obtain population-level metrics for Weld County adults every three years. This survey's robust sample size along with weighting the results allow for disaggregation to highlight disparities. In 2023 the then...
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Speakers
RH

Raissa Huntley

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Raissa Huntley is the senior Health Data Analyst for the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and earned her MPH from the Colorado School of Public Health. Her work focuses on chronic disease surveillance, community health assessment, and program evaluation. In... Read More →
MS

Maya Swanson

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Maya Swanson, MPH, is a Health Data Analyst at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, where she has worked for just over a year. She received her Master of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and holds a B.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Cell... Read More →
CV
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

2:45pm MDT

The Barriers Add Up: Affordability Findings from a Community Health Survey
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
The rising cost of living, housing, and healthcare costs were the top three challenges facing the state, identified by residents in the 2025 Colorado PULSE poll. Weld County’s triennial Community Health Survey (CHS) captures several metrics relating residents’ affordability concerns to factors influencing their health. This presentation will share findings on food insecurity, rising housing...
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Speakers
RH

Raissa Huntley

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Raissa Huntley is the senior Health Data Analyst for the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and earned her MPH from the Colorado School of Public Health. Her work focuses on chronic disease surveillance, community health assessment, and program evaluation. In... Read More →
MS

Maya Swanson

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Maya Swanson, MPH, is a Health Data Analyst at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, where she has worked for just over a year. She received her Master of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and holds a B.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Cell... Read More →
CV
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

2:45pm MDT

Connected Care Coordination for Workforce and Community Access
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
Healthcare and public health systems are facing increasing pressures from workforce shortages, fragmented care coordination, behavioral health demands, rural access challenges, and growing community health inequities. Many organizations continue to operate independently, creating barriers to continuity of care, patient navigation, and coordinated workforce support. This session explores how...
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Speakers
CJ
Wednesday September 23, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

4:00pm MDT

Advancing Community Psychiatry via a Consultation-Training Feedback Loop
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
Background: Timely access to psychiatric support remains limited for primary care clinicians in rural and underserved communities, yet many available resources like provider-to-provider consultation programs remain underutilized. To address underutilization and integrate such programs with workforce training, we developed a data-guided educational model using psychiatry consultation patterns. ...
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Speakers
avatar for Rachel Kollin

Rachel Kollin

MA, The Care Collaborative, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Rachel joined The Care Collaborative at CU Anschutz as an evaluation specialist in 2023. She appreciates the opportunity to apply her research and evaluation experience to the work of ECHO Colorado and the goal of reducing health care inequities. She brings with her experience evaluating... Read More →
BC

Benjamin Clark, MS

MS, The Care Collaborative, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Ben is a Senior Instructional Designer for The Care Collaborative at CU Anschutz. Since joining the instructional design team in early 2024, Ben has been applying his background in health care-focused learning and development and organizational development consulting to maximize the... Read More →
TT

Thida Thant, MD

MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Dr. Thida Thant is a faculty psychiatrist at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and is the Director of the UCH psychiatry consult service, the Psychiatric Consultation for the Medically Complex clinic, and the EASY rural primary care consult... Read More →
avatar for Will Payne, MHS

Will Payne, MHS

ECHO Implementation & Systems Analyst, The Care Collaborative, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Will serves as an ECHO implementation and systems analyst for The Care Collaborative at CU Anschutz. He is passionate about democratizing knowledge for critical medical and public health topics and about improving access to care for underserved populations, bringing expertise in public... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 4
  All Other Public Health Fields

4:00pm MDT

Polling: A Strategic Tool for Public Health Policy Change
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
Background/Purpose: Public opinion polling can be a valuable tool for advancing public health policy initiatives, yet many advocates and organizations are uncertain about when and how to effectively incorporate polling into campaign strategy. This session will explore how polling and message research can support policy change efforts across a range of public health issues, including tobacco...
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Speakers
JR

Jodi Radke

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Jodi L. Radke is the Regional Director for the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains Region with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Jodi manages tobacco control policy for nine states, promoting and supporting legislation that prevents kids from starting tobacco use and assisting adults that... Read More →
CK

Chris Keating

Keating Research
Chris Keating, PhD, is the President and founder of Keating Research, Inc. Keating has an undergraduate degree in political science from Northwestern University and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois. Keating has worked in survey research in Colorado for the past 30... Read More →
SK

Spencer Keating

Keating Research
At Keating Research, Spencer Keating focuses on accurate, well-crafted polling that helps organizations and campaigns understand where voters truly stand on key issues. He designs surveys, gathers data, and identifies insights clients can use to shape winning strategies. He’s always... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Castle Peak 1 & 2
  All Other Public Health Fields

4:00pm MDT

Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and AI/AN Oversample Project
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
Background: The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) is a school-based health surveillance survey conducted in middle and high schools across the state. The oversample project partnership began in 2013 to increase representation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Youth. Focused on schools within the Southwest Region 9 service area of the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology...
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Speakers
EN
MS
FT
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

4:00pm MDT

Measles and more: Denver’s local response and perspective
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background Emerging and re-emerging infections continue to challenge public health disease control programs. The United States’ measles elimination status is currently at risk of revocation. In 2025, the U.S. had 2,288 cases of measles, compared to 191 in 2015. Local public health must reexamine internal processes and employ more sustainable approaches to time-intensive communicable disease...
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Speakers
JC
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

4:00pm MDT

Breastfeeding Support via Community-Trained Telephone Specialists
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Background: Access to timely, culturally responsive lactation support remains a significant barrier in underresourced communities. In Colorado, data from the Colorado WIC Program (2024) indicate that breastfeeding prevalence declines from 53% during the first postpartum week to 32% at six months postpartum, while only 3.5% of individuals report receiving breastfeeding information via telephone,...
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Speakers
avatar for Lupe Zarate

Lupe Zarate

Cuenta Conmigo Coop
Lupita Zarate is an internationally trained physician with over 10 years of experience in community health, preventive care, and maternal and child health. She is a participant in the Maternal Child Health Leadership in Equity 2.0 Cohort led by Cuenta Conmigo Cooperative. Her work... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

4:00pm MDT

Power of Partnership: Evaluating outreach to support private well users
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
The Toxicology and Risk Assessment Program (TARA) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) continues to grow the PFAS Testing and Assistance Program (PFAS TAP) following its successful statewide expansion in 2025. PFAS TAP provides Colorado residents using private wells with free PFAS testing and supplies eligible participants with free filters that meet NSF standards...
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Speakers
avatar for Erin Looney

Erin Looney

MPH, CHES, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Erin Looney is the PFAS Testing and Assistance Program (PFAS TAP) Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), where she leads a program that offers free PFAS testing and free filters to private well users. Erin holds an MPH in Health Promotion... Read More →
avatar for Aki Suzuki

Aki Suzuki

MPH, CDPHE
Aki Suzuki is an Emerging Issues Scientist in the Toxicology and Risk Assessment Program (TARA) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Her work is focused on using data to understand environmental health issues, particularly those related to emerging... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

4:00pm MDT

Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Partners & Centralized Systems to Address SDoH
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background / Purpose: The Broomfield Network consisting of 80 organizations utilizes the Unite Us platform to address social determinants of health by streamlining the connection between individuals and essential health and social services. The primary objective is to move away from fragmented referral methods to a centralized system that directly connects individuals to services and provides...
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Speakers
LS

Laura Shek

CPH, City and County of Broomfield
Laura Shek has worked for the City and County of Broomfield Public Health and Environment Department since 2020. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado and earned the Certified in Public Health (CPH) certificate in 2025. She... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

4:00pm MDT

Pathways to Equity: Addressing SDOH in Rural Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background/Purpose: Rural Colorado communities continue to experience persistent health inequities influenced by social determinants of health (SDOH), including healthcare workforce shortages, transportation barriers, housing instability, food insecurity, limited broadband access, behavioral health service gaps, and geographic isolation. These challenges disproportionately affect older adults,...
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Speakers
JK
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

4:00pm MDT

Demonstrating a New Dashboard of Motor Vehicle Crashes in Colorado
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
Background: Roadway safety remains a critical public health challenge across Colorado, where factors such as population density and roadway type vary significantly in different regions of the state. Effective prevention strategies rely on the timely identification of high-risk locations and a nuanced understanding of contributing factors to motor vehicle crashes. Existing tools for crash data...
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Speakers
avatar for Julia Stullken

Julia Stullken

MPH, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Julia Stullken is an epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment focusing on injury and substance use prevention. She uses population datasets to monitor trends in alcohol use across Colorado, as well as secondary datasets to understand the burden of... Read More →
MB
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

4:00pm MDT

Food Insecurity Experiences and Beliefs Among Colorado Healthcare Workers
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
Background/Purpose: Healthcare organizations can play a key role in addressing food insecurity among their patients. Although healthcare workers’ experiences and beliefs likely shape how their organizations address food insecurity, little is known about those perspectives, particularly in rural areas. We therefore sought to assess lived experience with and beliefs about food insecurity among...
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Speakers
avatar for Elena Broaddus

Elena Broaddus

PhD, MSPH, University of Colorado Anschutz
Elena T Broaddus-Shea PhD, MSPH is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She also serves as associate director of the Partners Engaged in Achieving Change in Health network (PEACHnet), a community- and practice-based research... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

4:30pm MDT

Incline & Power Hair Trail Hike
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
Meet at Registration
No driving needed! The hike starts directly east of the conference center on Saint John Road. We will be hiking part of the Incline and Power Hair trail. We will ascend about 600 feet through the forest and get nice views of Keystone and surrounding mountains. This is an out and back hike so we will hike for about 1.5 - 2.0 miles in one direction and then turn around after getting some nice views...
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Speakers
avatar for Christine Demont

Christine Demont

Data analyst/epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Christine Demont is the lead analyst and epidemiologist in the vital statistics mortality surveillance unit for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Ms. Demont is responsible for the data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination for violent deaths (suicide... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
Meet at Registration
  Wellness Session

4:30pm MDT

The Well of Being: Yoga, Meditation, & Art
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
Meet at Registration
Wellness professionals are among the most burnout people in our society, constantly using their energy to give to others. Through The Well of Being, I help those professionals reconnect back to themselves. Yoga, meditation, and art are different doorways to the same destination: inner peace. When we can tap into this inner peace, our own inner well of being, we can live more authentic and embodied...
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Speakers
LS

Lilly Scheibelhut

200 HR YTT, ShambhavAnanda Yoga Shoshoni
Lilly has a passion for helping people reconnect to themselves. She is a yoga teacher, long time meditator, and life long artist. Last year, she taught yoga for 280+ hours at various locations in and around Denver. Her own practice is: The Well of Being, which combines yoga, meditation... Read More →
Wednesday September 23, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
Meet at Registration
  Wellness Session
 
Thursday, September 24
 

8:00am MDT

Silent Auction
Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT
Main Lobby

Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Silent Auction

8:00am MDT

Breakfast Buffet & Awards
Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT
Columbine Ballroom
Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Breakfast

8:00am MDT

Registration
Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 11:00am MDT
Main Lobby
Thursday September 24, 2026 8:00am - 11:00am MDT
Main Lobby 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon, CO 80435
  Registration

9:15am MDT

Stronger Together: Assessment as a Catalyst for Community Engagement
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 2
Background and Purpose. A Community Health Assessment (CHA) highlights community strengths, uncovers public health disparities, and communicates critical health needs to multiple audiences. In rural and frontier communities, it can do something more: it can be a catalyst for community engagement, cross-sector partnership, and lasting trust between a health department and the residents it serves....
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Speakers
HB
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

9:15am MDT

Suicide in Colorado: An Overview
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
This session will both inform and assist public health practitioners and professionals regarding the current status of suicide rates in Colorado and assess the effectiveness of current programs to decrease its incidence. In this interactive presentation, attendees will be invited to participate in the conversation about suicide and how it is more prevalent among certain professions and...
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Speakers
JG

Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP emeritus, MPH

Public Health Veterinarian

Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Behavioral & Mental Health

9:15am MDT

Beyond Modernization: Connecting Data, Programs, and Communities
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Grays Peak II
Background/Purpose: Following its establishment in 2023, the Adams County Health Department (ACHD) inherited fragmented systems, siloed workflows, and inconsistent data practices that limited coordination, efficiency, and timely decision-making. To build a more resilient and connected public health infrastructure, ACHD launched a Data and Technology Strategic Plan focused on modernizing how data...
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Speakers
GR
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

9:15am MDT

EMS Readiness and Financial Sustainability: Challenges and Innovations
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Grays Peak III
Background/Purpose: EMS readiness requires financial sustainability and predictability. Yet EMS organizations face a fundamental financing problem: they are reimbursed only for transports, creating perverse incentives misaligned with community health needs and emerging evidence on optimal care delivery. This financing structure threatens EMS readiness by limiting innovation and sustainable...
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Speakers
AD

Amy Downs

Results Count Consulting Group
Amy Downs is the founder and president of Results Count Consulting Group, which supports non-profit, public sector and community-based organizations in the health and social sectors with policy analysis and development; program design and implementation; community and stakeholder... Read More →
CB
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

9:15am MDT

Resilient but Unequal: Sex, Race, Household Coverage Gaps in U.S. 2019–2023
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented job losses, placing millions of working-age Americans at risk of losing employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). Despite growing evidence of overall coverage disruptions, little is known about how losses and recovery varied simultaneously by gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, and income using a comprehensive intersectional...
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Speakers
MG

Mina Ghobadi

PhD Student, University of Denver
Mina is a PhD student in the Research Methods and Statistics (RMS) program at the University of Denver. Her master's is in Public Policy from the University of Utah. She is interested in public health policy.
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

9:15am MDT

Smokeless: Tobacco/Nicotine Use from the 2025 Weld Community Health Survey
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 1
In 2025, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment conducted its triennial Community Health Survey (CHS) to identify local health trends and inform public health programming. A random, mail-based survey was distributed across Weld County, and 2,802 completed responses were weighted to represent the county population. Findings revealed an increase in smokeless tobacco/nicotine...
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Speakers
MS

Maya Swanson

MPH, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Maya Swanson, MPH, is a Health Data Analyst at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, where she has worked for just over a year. She received her Master of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and holds a B.S. in Sociology and a B.S. in Cell... Read More →
GC
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

9:15am MDT

Public Health Nurse Leadership Skill Builder
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 3
To support professional development and practical readiness, we propose an interactive, skill-building session designed specifically for public health nurses (PHNs). We will focus on strengthening nurse leadership skills at all employment levels. This session will include a panel discussion from public health nurse leaders and peer-to-peer education. Topics have yet to be finalized based on...
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Speakers
RM

Rebecca Miles

Arapahoe County Public Health
Becca Miles, BSN, RN is a Public Health Nurse at Arapahoe County Public Health, where she serves as the Clinical Standards Coordinator and supports both immunization services and clinical education. With more than 20 years of nursing experience, she is honored to lead the Public Health... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

10:30am MDT

Geographic Expansion of a Medically Tailored Meal Delivery Program
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 2
Diet-related chronic health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Food is Medicine (FIM) interventions have emerged as a crucial component of state and federal strategies to address the root causes of chronic disease and the complications of severe and complex conditions, as well as rising healthcare costs...
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Speakers
avatar for Kate Johnston

Kate Johnston

Chief Program Strategy Officer, Project Angel Heart
Kate Johnston joined Project Angel Heart as its chief operating officer in 2022 and now serves as chief program strategy officer. Before this, she spent 10 years in health care, building and leading community-based efforts to improve health for children and families. This experience... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

10:30am MDT

No-Code AI Forecasting for Influenza in Local Public Health
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
Background/Purpose: Local health departments are increasingly expected to make rapid, data-informed decisions, yet adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools remains limited due to workforce training gaps and technical barriers. This study examined whether structured AI education improves public health professionals’ confidence and readiness to use no-code forecasting tools. The research...
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Speakers
DT
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

10:30am MDT

Using AI to Understand Community Engagement Data
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
Community Engagement is the most important, yet often the most under resourced work for Local Public Health Agencies. Eagle County Public Health and Environment (ECPHE) has been exploring how AI can build department wide infrastructure to support Community Engagement work. Two use cases have been implemented at ECPHE: qualitative coding of community gathered data in Gemini and the creation of an...
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Speakers
avatar for Jeff Corn

Jeff Corn

Data Equity Strategist, Eagle County Public Health and Environment

Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

10:30am MDT

Associations between Influenza Subtype and Warmer Temperatures in Colorado
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
Background Influenza virus activity is associated with climate; however, less is known about how climate affects influenza subtype activity. Using population-level influenza-associated hospitalization surveillance data, we assessed the relationship between predominant influenza subtype and average temperature in Colorado. Methods We analyzed laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated...
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Speakers
KB
CM
MO
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

10:30am MDT

Delivering Diabetes Prevention & Management Programming through Telehealth
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Diabetes prevention and management are key public health priorities in Colorado. The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) and Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) services are national, evidence-based programs for individuals living with diabetes or prediabetes. Approximately 44 DSMES programs and 23 National DPP programs exist throughout Colorado. However,...
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Speakers
LB

Lisa Bentley

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
MS, RDN, CPH Lisa Bentley is a Diabetes Management Coordinator with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. A Registered Dietitian and public health professional, she supports programs focused on diabetes education, prevention, and management, including telehealth-enabled... Read More →
MT
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

10:30am MDT

Evaluating Health Disparities Among African American Populations Across Colorado
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Learning Objective: To assess differences in health care utilization, documented social needs, and spending among Black populations in Colorado using Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) data. Background/Purpose: Black populations in Colorado continue to experience disparities in health outcomes and health care utilization. This study evaluated differences in emergency department (ED)...
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Speakers
AH

Alan Harmon

Center for African American Health
As Director of Programs at the Center for African American Health (CAAH), Alan Harmon leads a dynamic and diverse team committed to advancing wellness and equity in the community. With over seven years of experience developing and facilitating Parenting Education Programs, Alan has... Read More →
KL
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

10:30am MDT

Nicotine Use in the Mountain West: The Impact of Regional Context
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 1
Nicotine use is still the leading preventable contributor to disease and death in the United States. States in the Mountain West share many, but not all, patterns and trends in nicotine use. This session presents findings from surveys on adult nicotine use conducted by WYSAC in the region, highlighting Colorado's neighbors to the north and south. WYSAC has conducted similar surveys in seven...
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Speakers
HC

Humphrey Costello

WYSAC, University of Wyoming
Humphrey Costello is a senior research scientist at WYSAC at the University of Wyoming. He is PI on a project providing comprehensive evaluation services to the New Mexico Nicotine Use Prevention and Control Program. Humphrey is part of WYSAC's research and evaluation group, which... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

10:30am MDT

Expanding Reproductive Access in Rural Areas
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 3
Access to comprehensive, person-centered contraceptive care remains limited in rural and underserved communities, where workforce shortages and restricted clinical scope impede timely service delivery. The Full Scope Forward (FSF) RN Nexplanon Training is a program innovation designed to expand rural registered nurse (RN) capacity to provide evidence-based contraceptive care, including...
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Speakers
avatar for Angie Fellers LeMire

Angie Fellers LeMire

MS, BSN, CORE
Angie is the Principal and Cofounder of CORE, bringing over two decades of contraceptive access, clinical, public health, and health systems expertise. She began her career in 1998 at Denver Health Medical Center and holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a Women’s Health focus... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

11:15am MDT

Disconnect to Re-connect?!?!
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Outdoors - TBD
Connection is the antidote to loneliness | Belonging is the antidote to social isolation. We know that we have an epidemic of lonliness and social isolation. This session is designed to encourage attendees to drop the surface level small talk and engage more deeply with their peers and colleagues. Think of it as a way to step up your networking into something more meaningful that leads to real...
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Speakers
avatar for Jo Burns

Jo Burns

MS, CTRS, Jo Burns Consulting LLC
Jo Burns, MS, CTRS, is a recognized leader in parks and recreation with a strong focus on public health collaboration and community impact. As co-founder of the Colorado Public Health/Parks & Recreation Collaborative, she connects diverse professionals to create innovative, evidence-based... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Outdoors - TBD
  All Other Public Health Fields

11:15am MDT

The Public Health Paradox: Why Change Feels So Hard
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Crestone 2
Public health is built on systems thinking - so why does changing our own systems feel so hard? This interactive session explores the tension between public health’s desire for innovation and the organizational cultures that often reward caution, compliance, consensus, and risk avoidance. Rather than offering polished success stories, this session creates space for an honest conversation about...
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Speakers
avatar for Molly Gutilla

Molly Gutilla

DrPH, Colorado School of Public Health
Molly Gutilla is Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University and the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, where she also serves as Director of the Rural Public Health Initiative. Her work focuses... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Lampe

Sarah Lampe

President and CEO, Prime Health
Sarah Lampe, MPH is President & CEO of Prime Health and former President & Executive Director of Trailhead Institute. She is a Colorado public health leader with expertise in workforce development, organizational change, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation in health systems... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

11:15am MDT

Beyond Tables: A User-Centered Dashboard for Newborn Hearing Screening
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak II
Background/Purpose: Colorado’s newborn hearing screening program works with birthing facilities, audiologists, and other providers to collect data on infant hearing screening and follow-up. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) sends follow-up letters for infants who missed screening or did not pass and require rescreening or additional evaluation. Before this...
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Speakers
AB

Amandeep Bhardwaj

Data Manager, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
I work as a Data Manager with the Informatics team at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). I support reporting, application enhancements, and visualization for the newborn hearing screening program and Colorado responds for children with special needs... Read More →
avatar for Steven Bromby

Steven Bromby

Data Management Supervisor, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
My role is as the data management supervisor within the Public Health Informatics (PHI) unit of the Health Information Systems Branch (HISB) that is part of the Center for Health and Environmental Data (CHED) division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

11:15am MDT

Impact of Continuous Medicaid and CHP+ Enrollment on Children in Colorado
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak III
Background / Purpose: Coverage gaps in Medicaid and CHP+ disproportionately harm children of color and low-income families. Continuous enrollment (CE) strengthens coverage stability by eliminating reapplication requirements until a designated age. During the COVID 19 Public Health Emergency, suspended eligibility redeterminations expanded stable coverage, followed by sharp enrollment declines...
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Speakers
avatar for Megha Jha

Megha Jha

Senior Evaluation, Innovation, and Research Analyst, Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC)
Megha Jha, BDS, MPH, is a Senior Evaluation, Innovation & Research Analyst at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), where she leads and supports advanced evaluation and analytic initiatives using the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD). Her research focuses... Read More →
LC

Leah Caputo

Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement, Colorado Children's Campaign
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

11:15am MDT

Reviewing Colorado air toxics rules through the lens of human health
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak I
In June 2022, House Bill 22-1244: The Public Protections From Toxic Air Contaminants Act was signed into state law. This talk will focus on how fundamental concepts in toxicology and human health risk assessment were integrated into several aspects of the implementation of this law. This talk will include an overview of the air toxics law and will provide in-depth discussion on the elements most...
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Speakers
TW

Tara Webster

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Tara is the Air Quality and Health Unit Supervisor in the Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
AD

Amanda Damweber

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Amanda leads the Regulations Unit in the Air Pollution Control Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

11:15am MDT

Advancing High‑Quality Asthma Care Through Statewide School Partnerships
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Background Asthma affects 8-10% of school aged children in the United States and is a leading cause of both healthcare utilization and school absenteeism in this age group. Enhancing school-based asthma care is a key strategy to meet children and families where they are and improve asthma outcomes. To this end, Colorado Asthma Friendly Schools initiative was created to both recognize schools and...
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Speakers
avatar for Melanie Gleason

Melanie Gleason

Physician Assistant, Children's Hospital Colorado
Melanie Gleason, MS, PA-C, Associate Director, AsthmaCOMP Program Children's Hospital Colorado
Heather De Keyser, MD, Director, AsthmaCOMP Program, Children's Hospital Colorado
Arthur McFarlane, MS, AsthmaCOMP Program Evaluator
Christy Haas-Howard, MPH, BSN, AE-C, School Nurse A... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

11:15am MDT

Leveraging digital messengers to reach teens in a public health campaign
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in recreational cannabis have risen dramatically with some products routinely exceeding 72% THC. Evidence links use of today’s THC products among adolescents to increased risks for cannabis use disorder, psychosis, and neurodevelopmental harm. Traditional public health channels are less likely to reach young people. To close the gap, Tea on...
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Speakers
AC
JC
DR
ES
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

11:15am MDT

Stronger Together: Co-Designing Tobacco Cessation in Healthcare
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Crestone 1
Background/Purpose: Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of disease and death, with persistent disparities among Black/African American individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with behavioral or mental health conditions, and individuals receiving healthcare assistance. As Colorado's largest safety-net system, Denver Health serves nearly one in four Denver residents annually. With...
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Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am MDT
Crestone 1
  Substance Use & Injury Control

11:15am MDT

The Syndemic Gap in Federally-Funded Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
Background / Purpose: Breast cancer mortality in the United States falls unevenly across racial and ethnic lines. Black women have a 38% higher breast cancer mortality rate than White women despite a 5% lower incidence, and they carry significantly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, comorbidities that interact syndemically with breast cancer to worsen outcomes....
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Speakers
HS
Thursday September 24, 2026 11:15am - 11:45pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

12:00pm MDT

Designing Connected and Equitable Health Systems Through Visioning
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
Public health systems and healthcare organizations are facing increasing pressures from workforce shortages, fragmented care coordination, rising behavioral health needs, and inequitable access to care. At the same time, many healthcare facilities continue to be planned using siloed approaches that separate operations, infrastructure, technology, and patient experience planning. This session...
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Speakers
CJ
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Crestone 2
  Behavioral & Mental Health

12:00pm MDT

The first year of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Surveillance in Colorado
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous virus that generally causes minor disease. Congenital CMV (cCMV) causes birth defects in about 20% of infected infants & is the leading non-genetic cause of pediatric hearing loss. Colorado added cCMV as a reportable condition in January 2025. Methods: Retrospective review of cCMV cases reported to Colorado public health between January...
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Speakers
JD
BS
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak II
  Chronic & Infectious Disease

12:00pm MDT

Trusted Messengers, Better Outcomes: A Community Ambassador Model
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
Background/Purpose: As H.R. 1 threatens significant Medicaid and ACA cuts, low-income and immigrant communities in Colorado face compounding barriers to maintaining health coverage: language access gaps, institutional distrust, and rapidly shifting eligibility rules. Safety-net clinics serving these populations need outreach models that can meet communities where they are; in trusted settings, in...
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Speakers
LP
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak III
  Community Planning & Policy Development

12:00pm MDT

Well Water Use, Safety and Stewardship in Northern Colorado
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
Approximately 10% of Colorado households rely on private well water. Without connection to municipal water treatment, these users are solely responsible for ensuring the safety of their drinking water. Important to note, lack of existing frameworks and coordinated support systems for private well users in Colorado has created a gap in both service provision and understanding behaviors related...
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Speakers
KD

Kelly DeBie

Legal Epidemiologist, Researcher & Lecturer, Colorado State University

IM
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Grays Peak I
  Environmental Health

12:00pm MDT

Partners in Prevention: DoL and CDE Support Vaping Prevention and Education
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
Following a 2023 nationwide settlement the Colorado Attorney General’s Office secured against Juul Labs, Inc. on behalf of Coloradans because the company targeted young people in their marketing and misrepresented the health risks posed by their vaping products, $11.4 million in grant funds was awarded through the Vaping Prevention Education Grant (VPEG) to 28 school districts, charter schools,...
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Speakers
SD

Sara Diedrich

MPH, RDN, Colorado Attorney General's Office
Sara Diedrich, MPH, RDN, serves as the Public Health Grant Manager for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, managing an extensive grant portfolio focused on strengthening youth mental health, reducing youth vaping and other substance use, and preventing youth suicide across Colorado... Read More →
AJ
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Torreys 1 & 2
  Health Education Promotion

12:00pm MDT

Emerging Products and Differential Policy: Rural Tobacco at a Crossroads
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
Background / Purpose Rural populations carry a disproportionate tobacco burden, and recent surveillance data suggest the gap is widening. Declines in rural tobacco use have slowed markedly relative to urban populations; among rural women, the decline has stalled entirely. This presentation argues the moment is critical: as a policy penetration gaps limit rural progress, evidence indicates the...
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Speakers
DN
JP
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Torreys 3 & 4
  Rural Communities & Underserved Populations

12:00pm MDT

Cultivating Calm: Mindfulness for Community and Workforce Wellbeing
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
Mental health challenges—including stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue—continue to rise across populations, underscoring the need for accessible, preventive strategies that support wellbeing at both individual and community levels. Mindfulness has emerged as an evidence-informed, low-cost intervention that can enhance emotional regulation, resilience, and overall mental health across...
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Speakers
avatar for Michelle Colarelli

Michelle Colarelli

MA, University of Colorado Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education
Michelle Colarelli, MA, is an Instructional Designer and Curriculum Manager at the University of Colorado’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, where she develops programs that advance collaborative, workforce-ready approaches to patient-centered care. With a background... Read More →
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Crestone 3
  Workforce & Professional Development

12:30pm MDT

Lunch Buffet
Thursday September 24, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom

Thursday September 24, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Columbine Ballroom
  Lunch
 

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Tuesday, September 22
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