Jackie Brown Begins New Position with Health Group

 

Jackie Brown, Speaking to Well-Wishers

 

“My job is so new, there’s no real job description for it yet, but we’re already at work and we know what we want to do,” is the way Jackie Brown summarized her new position in health care in southeast Colorado.  Brown’s last day as Director of Public Health and Environment for Prowers County is Friday, August 31, ending 22 years in that position.  She’ll be starting Tuesday, September 4, as Director of Primary Care for Southeast Behavioral Health Group, serving the six counties in southeast Colorado, and working on some state level projects for related health care issues.  Brown’s office is at the new Southeast Mental Health facilities building on the medical campus along Kendall Drive. 

Brown’s responsibilities include working on some health care changes that have already been put in place with the Accountable Care Act, integrating health care programs among clinics and hospitals in the region and looking at ways to reduce the health care dollar used, especially for Medicaid.  Brown added, “We want to have better outcomes and spend less money and get better heath results for the public.”     

Brown served for six years as the Public Health Director for Baca County before moving to Lamar.  Looking back on past highlights in Prowers County, she listed numerous events, noting how much the health care offerings had grown over two decades, aside from government mandates.  She recounted how her department played an important role behind the scenes during the Legionnaires outbreak in 1989 in town, her department’s timely response to the Holly tornado, along with some of the mass exercises for vaccinations in the county.  One event took place several years ago when residents received their flu vaccines while driving through vehicle checkpoints at the county fairgrounds.  A similar inoculation event occurred at the Senior Center, she said, when 2,000 persons were seen in one day.  “These show how well-trained our departments are in times of critical response events or just for planning them,” Brown explained.  She said she was proud she was part of a group that contributed to the writing of the Public Health Care Act of 2008, and saw it become law.      

The Prowers County Commissioners have begun a search for Jackie Brown’s replacement as County Health Director.  Until that time, County Administrator, Jo Dorenkamp will be interim director, working with members of the Bent County Pubic Health Department under an intergovernmental agreement.  Commissioner Joe Marble said he hoped to have that position filled within the next 30 days.

By Russ Baldwin 

Filed Under: BusinessCityCommissionerscommunityCountyEducationFeaturedGranadaHealthHollyLamarPublic SafetyWiley

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