Foundation Gives $100,000 to Defray Costs of Alamosa
Salmonella Outbreak
April 22, 2008 - DENVER - Last week the Colorado
Health Foundation presented $100,000 to the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment and Alamosa
County Nursing Services to help with the cost of ridding
Alamosa’s water supply of salmonella contamination. Of that,
$50,000 will be used by the department for testing and
monitoring water samples, with the other $50,000 to help
cover costs incurred by the local nursing services agency.
The outbreak of salmonella bacteria in Alamosa’s water
supply sickened more than 400 people. During the public
health emergency, the state issued a “bottled water order”
to protect residents of salmonella in the municipality’s
water supply. That order later was changed to a “boiled
water order,”before being lifted on April 11.
“We are very grateful to the Colorado Health Foundation for
coming to the aid of both the department and the community,”
said Jim Martin, executive director of the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment. “The foundation
has shown its dedication to improving the health of
Coloradans and was quick to respond to the people’s health
needs in this emergency.”
Since the outbreak on March 8, the department had nearly 100
staff members working to assist the community in responding
to the emergency and disinfecting the city’s water supply.
Many other local, state, federal and non-profit agencies
assisted in Alamosa effort.
“The Foundation saw a need and felt it was important to be
proactive in providing this support to the people of
Alamosa, because without clean, safe water, it’s impossible
to raise a healthy family,” said Anne Warhover, president
and CEO of the Colorado Health Foundation. “An outbreak such
as this underscores the importance of public health and the
need for investment in its infrastructure, which is,
unfortunately, under funded in Colorado.”
About The Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation works to make Colorado the
healthiest state in the nation by increasing the number of
Coloradans with health insurance, ensuring they have access
to quality, coordinated care and encouraging healthy living.
The Foundation invests in the community through grants and
initiatives to health-related nonprofits that focus on these
goals, as well as operating medical education programs to
increase the health care workforce. The Foundation's assets
of nearly $900 million include an investment portfolio as
well as an ownership interest in Denver's HealthONE hospital
system. For more information, please visit
www.ColoradoHealth.org.
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Contacts:
Mark Salley, Communications Director, 303-692-2013
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Chris Power Bain, 303-953-3618, Colorado Health Foundation
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