Making Healthier Communities
Disclaimer: The Health and Medicine section of the Denver Public Library Web site is intended to provide easy access to quality health information of interest to residents throughout Denver who want to be informed about health issues for themselves, their families, and their community. It is not intended as an endorsement of all the information at each linked site or organization. The Denver Public Library does not provide medical or health care advice. We recommend that you evaluate all health information with care, and that you discuss what you find here with your doctor or licensed health professional before making changes involving your health.
Healthy People 2010
Denver Healthy People 2010
"Denver Healthy People 2010 is a community-wide network of partners dedicated to making Denver a healthy place for all by promoting a better quality of life and getting rid of health inequalities. The network blends research and partnerships to build a healthier community."
This Web site was created in cooperation with Denver Healthy People 2010 of the Denver Department of Environmental Health and residents of Denver's Whittier neighborhood. It was made possible by a grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.
Whittier and other neighborhood residents report that while they do have concerns about personal and family health issues, they were also very concerned about having healthy communities. They want their children and neighborhoods safe from gang activity, firearm and motor vehicle deaths, crime prevention, pollution, lead poisoning, over-crowding and more. Denver Healthy People 2010 works with many organizations, and helps with grass-roots organizing of neighborhoods to promote healthy living in Denver. They have many reports and resources regarding the current state of Denver's community health at their Web site. A good place to begin is the report entitled "Healthy Denver: What We Know" (Executive Summary 2002).
See People, Groups, and Events to learn about where you can get involved.
See How to do Health Promotion for information and resources to get started.
See Community Interests to see more about local concerns.
Healthy Colorado 2010
Healthy Colorado 2010 Report from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This report compiles data, trends, major state initiatives, and promising practices for the 10 Leading Health Indicators. (153 page PDF file)
National Healthy People 2010
"Healthy People 2010 is the prevention agenda for the Nation. It is a statement of national health objectives designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats."
Leading Health Indicators and Priorities for Action
Statistics for the Leading Health Indicators at a Glance Search the National Center for Health Statistics Database.
Healthy People 2010 Full Text of vols. 1 and 2 published in Nov. 2000.
Other National and Local Initiatives
Around Denver - Just a few of many!
Denver City Neighborhood Organizations List
Denver Department of Community Development
Denver Department of Environmental Health
Brother Jeff Jeff Fard is an African American Northeast Denver community organizer and speaker, with many local connections.
Tepeyac Project A church-based health clinic for Latinos in Denver.
Denver Public Schools See the Safe and Drug-free Schools and Communities
Denver Health Community Voices A community outreach effort of Denver Health helping people enroll in health programs for which they may be eligible.
Making Connections Denver "Unity Building Community" in four local neighborhoods.
Metro Volunteers Support for nonprofits, including where to volunteer or recruit volunteers.
Colorado – including but not limited to Denver
Colorado Legal Resources A database of legal assistance resources for low income people throughout Colorado.
Colorado QuitNet Includes statistics, demographics and materials for public education. 1-800-639-7848 for free counseling and support.
Colorado Employee Assistance Professionals Association
Colorado Drug-free Workplace Alliance
Colorado Department of Health and Environment
Colorado Office of Health Disparities (Formerly known as Colorado Turning Point)
Colorado Minority Health Forum
The Interpreter Network of Colorado This is a commercial site, providing contact information to this group with skilled interpreters in many languages.
CANPO (Colorado Association of NonProfit Organizations) Click on “Our Members” to search the 1,100 Charitable Members. Limit by city or organization, or use the drop-down menu under “Purpose” to select General Health, Housing, Social Action, Youth Development and many other possibilities.
National Focus
The Rural Assistance Center is a federally funded resource for rural health and human service needs, including organizations, publications, statistics, and more.
Network for Good Volunteer in your community - a nationwide searchable tool.
Steps to a HealthierUS The organizing and funding side of this resource for public health.
Best Practices
What We Know About What Works to Improve Community Health
Denver Healthy People 2010 Scroll down to their Best Practices section.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy See "Putting What Works to Work."
Best practices for children, families & communities RAND research based.
Research on policy/best practices RAND institution.
Prevention Institute Includes policy and best practice approaches to violence, health disparities, and much more. Lots about how to do health promotion.
Professional Resources
See Denver Healthy People 2010 for additional resources, and to connect with groups and professionals concerned with making Denver a healthier place for all.
The Denver Public Library provides many subscription databases. The Library pays subscription fees so that Denver residents may have free online access to hundreds of journals and other resources - many in full text. These require you to log-in with your library card for online access from home or work. Besides both popular and academic periodicals, these resources include local and national newspaper databases, congressional, statistical, and educational databases. See also our In-Depth Health Resource section and the list of selected Library Resources there. See also Government Documents at the Denver Public Library.
The Piton Foundation Denver Neighborhood data and information including crime, CSAP scores, and much more – by neighborhood, school, or the city as a whole. Also, get on their email list for bulletins as new data is added.
The Colorado Health Information Dataset (CoHID) allows access to local-level health data compiled by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help users determine the health status of a neighborhood, community, county, or region in Colorado.
PreventionColorado.org Substance abuse Prevention for Colorado. Click "Prevention Information Center" for their lending library and catalog, with many resources (videos, pamphlets, posters…) available.
National Institute of Health Combined Health Information Database Model programs, Chapters from books, some full-text, and the rest citations or abstracts.
Go to DPL's Ask A Question section to Request a Title that we don't own. We will get it for you.
Recommended resources on Health Literacy from the Healthy People Library Project, a project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science made possible through a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Health Education Resources Exchange for the State of Washington.
Health Policy Guide provides evidence-based, peer-reviewed policy guidance and resources to support advocacy and decision-making at the state and local levels. Search or browse over 150 policy topics below.
The Universal Healthcare Action Network
National Crime Prevention Council
Virginia Adult Education Health Literacy Toolkit
Grant Writing & Nonprofit Support
The Denver Public Library provides many print and online resources for nonprofits, as well as regular training sessions. Check out these services at our Nonprofit Resource Center or call 720-865-1363.
The Foundation Center is a national nonprofit organization working to help grantmakers and grantseekers find one another. The Denver Public Library is a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection Library.
Colorado Nonprofit Association, formerly CANPO, now brings increased levels of advocacy and development to the support of nonprofits throughout the state. You can even request a start-up packet!
MetroVolunteers Local support for nonprofits through seminars, a volunteer registry, and more.
Grants.gov is THE place for federal grant information and applications.
National Institutes of Health grants information.
Chronicle of Philanthropy News from the world of giving.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance including a section entitled "Developing and Writing Grant Proposals."
Colorado Department of Local Affairs Many kinds of assistance available here, including a Grant and Loan directory.
Government Documents at the Denver Public Library
The Denver Public Library is a Federal Documents Depository, and also receives many Colorado and Denver government docs. In the past most of these have been paper documents, and many still come in this format. Many are now coming as electronic resources, either as CD's or web sites.
You can search the DPL Catalog, and many will appear there - some available for check-out, some linked with a URL to the Web site. Contact Rob, Wayne, or others in GovDocs at 720-865-1712 for search assistance.
- Government Publications: Catalog of Colorado Government Documents
- Government Publications: Catalog of Federal Government Documents
We have linked many government resources, including statistical sources, in the library's Government page. Some selected ones that may be of interest include:
- Denver Regional Council of Governments
- Regional Air Quality Council
- Superfund Sites in Colorado
- Colorado Workforce Centers
- Western Governor's Association
- Western States Water Council
Denver Public Library Online ©
Updated: February 14, 2008
