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Arapahoe County Public Health adopts 'Just Breathe' staffing focus as outbreak investigations surge
Summary
County public health leaders outlined a 2026 approach to reduce staff burnout and prioritize statutory and high‑acuity work under the theme 'Just breathe.' Epidemiology staff reported a 214% increase in case and contact investigations in 2025, largely driven by measles activity and respiratory hospitalizations.
Arapahoe County Public Health told its board it will prioritize staff resilience and core services in 2026 while responding to an increased communicable‑disease workload.
Director Jennifer Ludwig framed the year with a "Just breathe" theme, saying leadership will focus on employee stability, visibility of performance metrics and a more deliberate approach to taking on new work. "It doesn't mean slowing down ... it might mean saying no to new opportunities," Ludwig told the board as she described leadership agreements and decision criteria that include statutory requirements, core public health services and community need.
Ludwig said the agency is building dashboards and increasing transparency about program performance so leaders and staff can make data‑informed decisions. She said the county will weigh community and political will alongside statutory and grant obligations when prioritizing limited resources.
Public health epidemiology staff reported a large increase in workload. "The team managed 199 confirmed outbreaks in 2025 and completed 1,825 case and contact investigations compared to 582 last year," said Melissa Orozco, communicable disease epidemiology manager, citing a roughly 214 percent increase in outbreak and case work. Orozco attributed much of the surge to measles investigations and heightened reporting, and said respiratory hospitalizations (COVID, influenza, RSV and pertussis) are trending upward.
Board members praised staff responsiveness and the creation of more visible performance tracking. Members asked about risks and community engagement; staff said they are expanding community surveys, communications, and partnerships with county communications staff to build public knowledge about public health roles and to bolster support when difficult resource decisions are required.
The board received no action items on these topics during the session; staff said they will return with more detailed dashboards and funding implications as the year progresses.
