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Even if you haven't set foot into a public health office, the New Mexico Department of Health's Public Health Division is working to keep you healthy and safe.

As part of Public Health Week during this first week of April, I wanted to tell you about the services we provide.

The Public Health Division provides essential health services that prevent disability, disease, and premature death through its 55 public health offices, 68 school health centers, and numerous contractors and community partnerships.

Through the health offices and programs that reach beyond their doors, the 750 public health staff members strive to reduce teen pregnancies and suicides, improve immunization rates to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, improve the nutrition of low-income families with babies and schoolchildren, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted and other infectious diseases, and build communities' abilities to address these and other health issues.

While these are big picture issues, they are addressed at the personal level. Public health staff provide family planning counseling and birth control to young adults, immunize babies against measles, mumps or chicken pox, teach parents to cook nutritious meals for their families, and ask enough questions to learn if a client has problems with drug abuse, domestic violence or depression.

It's a broad range of services that benefit individuals and the larger community. You are at less risk of infection because of the work we do. And we're saving you tax dollars. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every $1 spent on health promotion and disease management programs saves $3.14 in future medical costs.

Combined with the contributions our clients can make as healthy, productive citizens, we think it's money well spent.

Over the past four years, Gov. Bill Richardson and the Department of Health have targeted five priorities because of the great impact they have on individual lives and the community as a whole:

Teen pregnancy prevention

Family planning services in local public health offices serve 17 percent of all teen girls in New Mexico and 40 percent of those in need of family planning services.

In addition, they provided services to over 1,600 teen boys last year. To continue to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy, the Department has rolled out programs such as "Plain Talk," which teaches parents how to discuss sexuality with their children.

Youth suicide prevention

Nearly one in five teens in New Mexico high schools seriously contemplates suicide; one in ten actually attempts suicide.

In response, the Department and the University of New Mexico created the Agora Helpline (1-866-HELP-1-NM) for people in crisis. They trained teachers and others in contact with youth on how to identify a teen who might be considering suicide, and they are working to take away the stigma of mental health needs.

Obesity prevention

Nationwide, the number of children who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight continues to grow.

The Department of Health is trying to nip that problem before it occurs. The Coordinated Approach to Child Health program teaches children about nutrition and physical fitness in a fun, interactive way and offers cooking classes for low-income parents in our Women, Infants and Children program. Cooking classes also are available to help diabetics prepare nutritious meals.

Childhood immunizations

In 2002, 26,486 children were immunized against a host of diseases. In 2005, 32,223 children were immunized.

The department works with doctors and staff to assure they keep up with the schedule of shots for infants. The department also implemented a statewide registry that tracks children's shot records so any doctor can know what the child has, and hasn't, received.

School health centers

Primary medical care and behavioral health services are provided directly to students and staff through school health centers. At the urging of the governor, the number of health centers has doubled since 2002, from 34 to 68.

In 2006, a total of 9,393 students visited a school health center. The department anticipates an increase to 13,000 students in fiscal year 2007 as the 34 expansion sites fully implement and increase their activities.

These priorities will not only improve the lives of the people who receive the services. They will also be good for communities, and the state and you - whether you've stepped foot in a public health office.