County Health Council

Los Alamos County Health Council (LACHC)

The Social Services Division coordinates regular meetings of the Los Alamos County Health Council (LACHC). The LACHC consists of 15 members who are selected to represent a broad spectrum of diverse community interests and are appointed by County Council to serve 2-year terms. The LACHC is tasked with developing recommendations to the County concerning identification of needs, services, projects and programs that can affect community health; comprehensive health planning; and coordination of health resources. The Los Alamos County Council formally recognizes LACHC as its community health planning body and designates a Councilor each year to attend monthly meetings.

For more information, please contact LACHC Coordinator, Jessica Strong at (505) 662-8312.

Comprehensive Health Plan

The Health Council was tasked by the Los Alamos County Council to develop a Comprehensive Health Plan. The Interim Report(PDF, 1MB)  and Action Plan was presented to the County Council on March 27, 2024. The final plan is expected to be completed in fall 2024.

 

 

Health Council Members

The Health Council comprises County Councilor Keith Lepsch and the following Health Council Members:

 Name Status Term Term Status Term Start Term Ends
1 Lori Padilla (Chair) Active 2 Jan. 07, 2023  Jan 06, 2025 
2 Morris Pongratz Active 2 Jan. 07, 2023  Jan 06, 2025 
3 Abbie Nelson (Vice-Chair) Active 2 Aug. 01, 2022  Jan 06, 2026 
4 Gisel Martinez Active 2 Aug. 01, 2022  Jan 06, 2026 
5 Marian Joyce Richins Active 1 Jan. 07, 2023  Jan. 06, 2025 
6 Jennifer H. Bartram  Active 1  Jan. 07, 2023   Jan. 06, 2025 
 7 Lindsay Smith  Active 1 Dec 07, 2023 Jan 06, 2026
 8 Lisa Hampton  Active 1 Dec 31, 2023 Jan 06, 2026
 9 Celeste Raffin  Active  1    
 10 Jyl DeHaven  Active   1    
11  Leticia Martinez  Active   1    

 

Health Council Meetings

The LACHC holds public meetings on the first Thursday of each month, from Noon - 1:30pm. Meetings are currently being hosted virtually. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Agendas and links for the meetings can be found on the Council Meeting Calendar. 

To view minutes from meetings, visit the county's Legistar webpage and filter "Los Alamos County Health Council" in the dropdown box to the right of the "Search" feature.

 

Ad Hoc Committees of the Health Council

  • There are currently no active sub-committees of the Los Alamos County Health Council. Members regularly share notices and information from other groups with which they have affiliations, such as the Older Adult Network, BabyNet, and others.

New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils

The New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting and advocating for New Mexico’s 42 health councils and their community partners.

County & Tribal health councils, established in 1991 by the New Mexico legislature, help communities organize to identify and address local health priorities. The functions of health councils were reaffirmed in 2019 by the County and Tribal Health Care Act (HB 137). Health councils are mandated to identify community needs, resources, and priorities; evaluate the community’s system of care with an equity lens; and support education, programming and advocacy efforts to improve community health.

 

Contact Us

Social Services Division

Phone: (505) 662-8068.

LAHC Mission & Vision

Mission: Provide assessments, information, and recommendations regarding community health matters to the Los Alamos County Council and community members.

 

Vision: A community where all members can achieve health and wellness through knowledge of and equitable access to physical and behavioral health resources.

 

Purpose: LACHC Presentation(PDF, 1MB)

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