This webinar will explore how to intentionally consider social capital and connectedness as a way to improve organizations and community health, education, and the economy. By highlighting the example of Mesa County Public Health (MCPH), Dr. Jeff Kuhr will share their process of restructuring and streamlining their organization in order to better address the emerging health demands of local communities by taking an upstream health approach. In one Mesa County neighborhood, for example, MCPH and its agency and resident partners are together becoming a catalyst for change by fostering intentional partnerships, building community trust and participation, and leveraging existing community assets in a more cohesive, creative and responsive manner. This is more important than ever in this new age of COVID-19.

Presenter: Dr. Jeff Kuhr is the Executive Director of Public Health for Mesa County, located on the Western Slope of Colorado. Additionally, Jeff is an active participant in statewide policy and program development, serving on the Colorado Board of Human Services and the Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission. He is a Colorado Children and Families Fellow with Ascend at the Aspen Institute. In Grand Junction, Jeff serves on the board of directors for St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Quality Health Network (QHN), the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation, and acts as Co-Facilitator of the Mesa County Health Leadership Consortium. Learn more about Mesa County Health and their work here. 

He is joined by Dr. Danielle Varda, CEO & Network Scientist, along with several staff from VNL and the CU Denver Center on Network Science. Watch the rest of our Network Leadership From the Field Webinars Here.