The Board of Health today voted unanimously after an executive session to officially offer Jordana Sabella the Pitkin County Public Health Director position. Sabella has been leading Public Health through the pandemic in an interim capacity since November of 2020.
“Jordana has done an excellent job of stepping into the role of Interim Public Health Director over the past eight months and through the thick of the pandemic. She led the public health team through its explosive growth during this period and also guided our community as Covid testing became available, then our vaccination efforts took center stage,” said Greg Poschman, Board of Health Chair. “She brings a strong public health background at both the state and local level to the role, and the results of her effort cannot be more clear, as Pitkin County ranks very high in national health polls after this difficult pandemic.”
Sabella has a Masters in Public Health and has worked in the Public Health field for 17 years. She brings years of depth and experience in public health work specific to our local region, having served in roles in Pitkin County, Eagle County, across the State of Colorado, Washington and Montana. Prior to her role as Interim Public Health Director, Sabella worked as the Planning, Prevention and Partnerships Manager at Pitkin County Public Health. In that role, she oversaw the COVID-19 Community Liaison Team and program and policy work around mental health and substance use. Prior to that position, Sabella was a Public Health Analyst for Pitkin County Public Health. She has led regional efforts to assess the community’s health and address community health priorities, which are currently mental health and healthy housing. Sabella brings ten years of experience as a Colorado Health Assessment and Planning Specialist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In this role, Sabella served as an expert on the Western Slope, advising public health departments in creating community health assessments and public health improvement plans.
Jordana earned her Masters in Public Health at the University of Washington’s Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program. She holds a Bachelors of the Arts degree from Colby College in Biology and Environmental Studies.
In May 2021, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Pitkin County the seventh healthiest community in the United States. Of the top 25 healthiest communities in this report, Pitkin County had the lowest death rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a testament to the Pitkin County Public Health team, Jordana’s leadership, and the Pitkin County community at large.
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For additional local information on COVID-19, please visit Pitkin County’s Response & Recovery website.
