Lamar Public Library

The medical home model of care is a partnership approach where care is both coordinated and family-centered. Several studies have shown that medical home activities improve access to health care, health-related outcomes, and family functioning for children and youth with and without special health care needs.

As of 2011, more than 1 million Coloradans were considered obese. Obesity can be caused by several factors including genetics, metabolism, personal behaviors, culture, and socioeconomic status. Recent studies have shown that obesity rates in rural areas are often higher than urban areas in the U.S. 5 Rural areas in Colorado have been associated with a number of disparities in health and access to health services, including higher rates of motor vehicle...

Gastroschisis is a congenital (birth) defect of the abdominal wall in which the baby's intestines, and sometimes other abdominal organs, protrude from the belly through a small hole. Colorado's rates of gastroschisis reflect this increasing trend. In 1994, the prevalence rate was 2.78 per 10,000 live births, and increased to 3.54 per 10,000 live births in 2011. Rates of gastroschisis are particularly high among younger mothers, including teen moms....

Public health officials in collaboration with other health professionals are closely monitoring the patterns of use, particularly among adolescents and youth for whom marijuana use is illegal, and who might be at a greater risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes than adult marijuana users. A growing body of literature suggests certain areas of the brain continue to develop well into a person's twenties and that adolescent use of substances,...