Jenkins Middle School families with children in the seventh grade received a notice from El Paso County Public Health confirming a whooping cough, or pertussis, outbreak. Jenkins Middle School students were recently relocated to Russell Middle School and Doherty High School due to a temporary building closure.
Air Quality Program Manager Duane Dominguez urged residents to test their homes for radon during National Radon Action Month. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas that can be found in high levels in nearly 50 percent of Colorado homes. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
El Paso County Public Health Co-Medical Director Dr. Bernadette Albanese noted that four main illnesses are currently circulating, including flu, RSV, COVID-19 and Norovirus. She noted this is typical for this time of the year. Dr. Albanese explained the symptoms of these illnesses and how to avoid them.
New resources and programs are improving mental health outcomes in El Paso County including GRIT and Pikes Peak Rising 360. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Professor Dr. Charles Benight and EPCPH Executive Director Susan Wheelan discussed the collaborative efforts.
Colorado teen vaping is down by over 15 percent when comparing 2023 to 2019. Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership Program Manager Jennifer Lange said that tobacco use is still a huge concern in our community, as it alters the brains of youth and makes them more susceptible to addiction and mental health problems.
An outbreak of E. coli across several states appears to be connected to meals eaten at McDonald’s. EPCPH officials discussed the difficulty of tracking outbreaks and the work being done to keep the public safe.
El Paso County Coroner Leon Kelly, who has led the state’s largest and busiest coroner’s office for the past six years and has been its medical examiner for nearly 17 years, is stepping down. In addition to his many duties in his role, he served in an emergency capacity as the deputy medical director of…
The El Paso County health department confirms it is investigating a whooping cough case at a local school. The case was reported at Cheyenne Mountain High School in District 12 on Colorado Springs’ west side.
State and local numbers indicate teen nicotine use is down, but students and school resource officers in Colorado Springs are saying they are seeing an increased usage in schools — particularly when it comes to discrete vaping devices.
When the initial work on the neighborhood plan started in 2021, RISE Southeast was a health initiative of El Paso County Public Health halfway through its seven-year funding commitment. RISE is now in its first year operating as a standalone nonprofit with the same focus on building a healthy and thriving community, according to Salazar.