The Weld County Health Department’s Health Education, Communication and Planning division promotes health literacy, disease prevention and community well-being by implementing various initiatives and conducting critical data analysis.

The Weld County Commissioners this past week honored the division as they proclaimed Oct. 15-21 as National Health Education Week.

The division has been vital in maintaining the department’s national public health accreditation and launching evidence-based initiatives to improve health outcomes, according to a county news release. The division’s initiatives include the Diabetes Prevention Program, Weld Waits, Drive Smart Weld County, Tobacco Education and Prevention and Substance Use Disorder Education and Prevention.

“Health education is often an underrecognized component of the health department,” Weld Health Director Jason Chessher said to the commissioners. “Unlike other health actions that are easy to count, like the number of inspections or immunizations, it can be hard to measure the immediate impact of prevention. The work this division does has a significant long-term benefit to the overall population’s health.”

The division also advocates for wellness through community-based programs including Communities that Care, Childhood Obesity Prevention, Breastfeeding Support, Healthy Eating-Active Living and Cooking Matters.

For more information about the division, go to www.weld.gov/go/HealthEd.