West Central Public Health Partnership Receives The Colorado Trust’s Annual Leadership Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Julian Kesner, Director of Communications
303-539-3147; [email protected]
DENVER, COLO.—The Colorado Trust announced today the West Central Public Health Partnership (WCPHP) as the recipient of its 2012 Grantee Leadership Award. The annual award of $25,000 is made in recognition of exemplary leadership by a current grantee of The Colorado Trust and will be used by the partnership to support its ongoing work.
Formed in 2006 to represent the counties of Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, San Miguel and Ouray counties, WCPHP pooled the public health services of each county and created a regional public health collaboration, offering comprehensive public and environmental health services in each of the rural communities they serve.
“WCPHP is a trailblazer in conceptualizing and operationalizing a collaborative approach to streamline and strengthen the delivery of public health in rural communities,” said Ned Calonge, MD, President and CEO of The Colorado Trust. “Working across local boards of health, county commissions and public health agencies, this innovative partnership has served to increase access to public health services not previously available in these six counties.
“West Central Public Health Partnership’s completion of Colorado’s first-ever regional Public Health Improvement Plan this year will serve as a model to others in how to effectively improve the local public health infrastructure, as required under the Public Health Reorganization Act of 2008,” said Calonge.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has identified WCPHP as a pilot site to aid other local public health departments in learning how to implement the regional model, particularly in rural and low-resource communities.
The leadership award was created in recognition of John R. Moran, Jr., former long-time President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, for his devotion to improving the health and well-being of people across the state. Moran retired from The Colorado Trust in 2006, following 21 years of service with the grantmaking foundation.
This is the fifth year The Colorado Trust has made this award. Earlier recipients are Northside Child Health Center (2011), The Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics (2010), Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program (2009), Denver Indian Family Resource Center (2008) and Safe2Tell (2007).
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