To: Long Term Care Facility Administrators From: Holly Medved, CDPHE Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response (OEPR) Plans Section The CDPHE Heat Response plan was developed in 2023 with a focus on Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF) preparedness for extreme heat events. The review cycle for this plan is annually with triannual revisions. It has been 3 years since the initiation of the plan and therefore, it is currently in the revision phase. The initial plan included data that demonstrated the total number of facilities with backup power availability as well as cooling options for patients in the event of a heat related incident. As part of the current plan revision the facility assessment will again be completed. The assessment for this revision cycle has additional questions which include: generator fuel type, type of cooling system, and if the cooling system is connected to generator power. OEPR kindly asks that each LTCF complete the attached survey no later than April 7, 2026.  It is important to note that information gathered in this survey will go directly to the OEPR Planning team and will not be used for regulatory purposes.  LTCF Heat Survey For further information please contact the CDPHE OEPR Planning team at cdphe_oepr_planningsection@state.co.us.

Apply to become a member of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee

 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is recruiting four new members of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory (HAI) Committee. Currently, the committee is requesting applicants for the following positions Medical statistician OR clinical microbiologist with an advanced degree, Representative from a health insurer, Infection control practitioner from a long-term care setting, Representative from a rural hospital. Applicants must be a resident of Colorado and must be able to contribute objectively to committee meetings from the perspective of the position. All interested and qualified individuals should apply. This position will be appointed by the Executive Director of CDPHE for a term of three years. The HAI Advisory Committee was established under Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 25-3-602 to provide oversight to CDPHE for the collection and public reporting of data on HAI infection rates from health facilities. The committee typically meets every other month on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 2 - 4 p.m. CDPHE facilitates committee meetings using video conferencing. There are 11 members who represent a variety of stakeholders. Membership is voluntary. Participation on the HAI Advisory Committee is a great way to learn about HAIs and play an important role in state public health! We appreciate a diversity of input. Membership is not labor intensive, apart from participating in committee meetings. CDPHE invites qualified persons to complete and submit the fillable application with a resume or curriculum vitae by email to cdphe_hai_ar@state.co.us. You may submit additional pages with the application if needed to answer the “additional questions.” The deadline for submission is October 31, 2025. The CDPHE Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program will review applicants internally before making a recommendation to the Executive Director for appointment. For more information, please see the HAI Advisory Committee Website or contact Chris Czaja MD, DrPH at christopher.czaja@state.co.us or 303-692-2700.