Southwest Idaho is experiencing an outbreak of measles (“rubeola” or “red measles”), with 10 cases reported to date. Measles stopped being continuously spread in the United States in 2000. Only two cases of measles were reported in Idaho during the last 20 years, both in 2019.

Why are we worried about measles? Isn’t it a childhood disease that doesn’t last long?

Measles is a serious, highly contagious disease. Complications can lead to hospitalization, disability, and death.

• About one in five unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles is hospitalized.
• About one child in every 1,000 who get measles will have brain swelling that can cause seizures, permanent deafness, or intellectual disability.
• About one to three of every 1,000 children with measles will die from lung and brain complications.
• Measles may cause nonimmune pregnant women to give birth too soon or have a baby with a low birth weight.
• A rare, fatal brain disease can occur seven to 10 years after an individual has measles, even if they appear to have fully recovered. About seven to 11 of every 100,000 individuals with measles could get this condition.

Complications from measles can occur in people of any age, but are more likely in:

• Children younger than 5 years of age
• Adults older than 20 years of age
• Pregnant women
• People with compromised immune systems, such as from leukemia or HIV infection

How did this measles outbreak happen?

The current measles outbreak in Idaho originated with an unvaccinated, nonimmune person who traveled to a country where there is an ongoing outbreak of measles. The person was exposed there and started having symptoms after returning to Idaho.

Several unvaccinated, nonimmune children were exposed to the first case in a household setting, and nine became ill with measles.

Because measles can be spread through the air, people seated near an infectious person on a plane or in a room,  or in a room within two hours after an infectious person, are considered exposed. Idaho public health officials are monitoring known exposed Idahoans. Nearly all were determined to be already immune except for an infant too young to receive vaccination against measles. None have had symptoms of measles to date. Although this is encouraging news, cases among unknown people exposed at one of the airports might yet be identified.

How can we prevent measles?

The most effective way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated against measles. The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles. Children 12 months through 12 years of age may get MMRV vaccine, which also protects against varicella (chickenpox). See measles vaccine recommendations at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html#who-gets-mmr.

Many countries abroad are reporting more measles cases. Make sure you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated at least two weeks before traveling abroad. Before travel, check if you are protected against measles or need a measles vaccine at https://www.cdc.gov/measles/travel-vaccine-assessment/index.html.

Call your healthcare provider if you or your child get sick with a rash and fever within three weeks after you return from abroad. This is especially important if you have a medical condition that prevents you from receiving MMR vaccine.

Could measles be continuously spread in the United States or Idaho again?

Yes. Several countries that had eliminated continuous spread of measles lost that status after 2019 because of ongoing outbreaks among the unvaccinated, nonimmune population. The United States almost lost measles elimination status the same year.

About 95% of a population needs to be immune from measles to prevent ongoing spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that less than 95% of young children and adolescents are vaccinated against measles in Idaho and nationwide. In Idaho, only about 80.7% of kindergartners had records indicating receipt of two doses of MMR vaccine by the 2022-23 school year. Those are statewide percentages. In some communities, MMR vaccination may be even lower, increasing the risk of an outbreak if someone brings in measles.

Why has measles vaccination declined in Idaho?

Measles vaccination declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and after. Possible reasons for the decline during the pandemic include:

• Difficulty accessing healthcare
• Competing priorities
• Increasing distrust of the government, science, and the health care industry and increasing disinformation and reliance on social media for information

How can barriers to measles vaccination in Idaho be overcome?

Routine childhood vaccines are available to Idaho children, under the age of 19 years, at no or significantly reduced cost. Your local public health district might offer MMR vaccine or can help refer you to a provider. Idaho’s Community Health Centers provide affordable access to healthcare for all ages. Medicaid participants can find a Healthy Connections Primary Care Provider by searching here. Find a free clinic near you and ask if they offer MMR vaccine. The Idaho Medical Association’s physician finder tool can also help.

If you are hesitant to have yourself or your child vaccinated, see credible sources of vaccine information and talk to your doctor. To help you evaluate sources of health information, see:

• https://vaccineinformation.org/internet-immunization-info/
• https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/evaluating-health-information

For more information about measles and MMR vaccine, see:

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-details/measles-mumps-and-rubella-vaccines
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html

What are measles symptoms?

Typical initial symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after those symptoms, a characteristic rash appears. Measles is highly contagious and can be spread for four days before and four days after the rash appears. Up to nine out of 10 nonimmune people who are exposed in a household will come down with measles.

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in an Idaho tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Respiratory disease season has arrived, and public health officials are urging Idahoans to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Seasonal influenza (flu) virus, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are all expected to be part of the respiratory disease season this fall and winter.

As people move indoors during colder months, they spend more time in close contact with others, and the chances of spreading germs increases. While most people who catch a respiratory virus will recover after a short illness, some can get sick enough to be hospitalized.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases this season could be similar to last year for all three viruses. The great news is that there are vaccines that protect from flu, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19

The updated COVID-19 vaccine is now available for everyone 6 months and older. The updated vaccine protects against the variant of the virus causing infections right now. Vaccination not only remains the best way to protect from severe COVID illness, it also reduces the chance of getting long COVID, which affects some people after the initial infection and can last for weeks or months.

Flu

To protect against the flu, everyone 6 months of age or older should get the flu vaccine before the season starts, usually before November. This year’s flu vaccines will protect against the influenza viruses expected to be circulating during the upcoming flu season.

High dose flu vaccines are available for people 65 years of age and older. The higher dose of ingredients in these vaccines gives older adults a better immune response and better protection against the flu. Getting the flu vaccine not only protects individuals who get it but can reduce spread to others.

RSV

For the first time, vaccines against RSV are available. RSV causes mild cold symptoms in most people but can lead to hospitalization and even death in older people and babies. People 60 years and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine and should talk with their healthcare provider about whether they should get it. Pregnant people are recommended to receive one dose of RSV vaccine as early as 32 weeks and as late as 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect their newborn infants from RSV.

A new immunization against RSV (nirsevimab) is also available for babies, who can become very ill from RSV. One dose of nirsevimab is recommended for infants younger than 8 months born before or during the RSV season. For children 8 to 19 months who are at increased risk of severe illness, nirsevimab or palivizumab (a similar monoclonal product) might be recommended. Parents should discuss using these products with their child’s healthcare provider.

Additional ways to protect yourself and others

In addition to getting vaccinated, everyone can reduce the risk of getting sick from respiratory viruses or spreading them by washing their hands, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick, practicing physical distancing, and wearing masks when disease activity is high in a community.

The CDC has published guidance for the respiratory season, a respiratory season outlook, and publishes weekly respiratory disease season updates. Follow the situation in Idaho on the Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 dashboards.

• Flu dashboard: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/infectious-disease-idaho
• RSV dashboard: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/resp-synct
• COVID-19 dashboard: https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/

Dr. Kathryn Turner is deputy state epidemiologist in the Division of Public Health. 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

One of my favorite parts of working at the Department of Health and Welfare is meeting the amazing and talented people who work here. This week I joined staff from the Division of Public Health to learn more about the newborn screening program.

Each year between 20 and 40 babies in Idaho are diagnosed with potentially life-threatening conditions through the program, and this early detection and treatment can prevent intellectual disabilities, life-long health problems, or death.

Program staff gave me an informative program overview and took me on a field trip to the genetic and metabolic clinic at St. Luke’s hospital where we met with a biochemical geneticist, three genetic counselors, a registered dietician, and clinic staff who partner with DHW to screen newborns for rare genetic, metabolic, or other congenital disorders that may not be apparent at birth.

Many of the illnesses are treatable, and early detection can make a big difference for newborns. Timely treatment allows for normal growth and development, and a reduction in infant death and chronic disease.

Screening allows treatment to begin within the first weeks of life and can address disorders like congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, and cystic fibrosis.

Newborn screening is so effective that it’s widely considered one of the most successful public health achievements in modern history.

This program is truly making a difference for the most vulnerable Idahoans, and I’m excited that earlier this month Gov. Brad Little recognized it by signing a proclamation to honor and commemorate the program’s importance by declaring September Newborn Screening Awareness Month.

For more information about the program, read this recent news release about Newborn Screening Awareness Month or visit the program’s website.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

This September, for the second year in a row, the Division of Behavioral Health’s Substance Use Disorder Services Program has published a booklet titled “Who’s Who, Idaho Recovery Month 2023.”

The booklet features stories about some of the incredible Idahoans who work in, work with, or are in the substance use disorder recovery community, and I’d encourage you to read about the inspiring people who are featured.  At a time when deaths from addiction are at an all-time high, they’re some of Idaho’s heroes. Many of these heroes are in long-term recovery themselves, offering hope and help to those who are still struggling.

Idaho has a strong and proud recovery community made up of a diversity of programs and people at DHW, and thousands of everyday Idahoans who have committed to recovery, whether as professionals, advocates, recovery champions, or those working to overcome addiction.

September—National Recovery Month—is a time when we go out of our way to celebrate those in recovery from the disease of addiction, as well as the people and organizations who support those in recovery. Recovery Month is a time to unify and empower people, families, friends, and peers throughout Idaho’s communities. It’s also the perfect time to work together to reduce the stigma that surrounds substance use disorders and engage in alcohol and drug-free activities together.

It’s a privilege to bring awareness to recovery from addiction and to further recognize the hard-working people who are invested in helping those afflicted by the disease of addiction. I’m honored to work with those in Idaho’s recovery community as they strive to unify and empower those in treatment and recovery while reducing the stigma surrounding substance use.

Throughout the month of September and beyond, we’re encouraging communities to come together to show support for those in recovery, remember people we’ve lost, and recognize that we’re all in this together.

In honor of Recovery Month, Monday, Sept. 25, will be a day when wearing or displaying purple will be a way to recognize the recovery community. Purple can be worn, displayed, or even lit up as a sign of solidarity for recovery.

For more information about Substance Use Disorder: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/behavioral-health/about-substance-use-disorder

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

The Division of Public Health embarked on a journey starting in 2019 to improve the likelihood that all Idahoans have the same opportunity to live and thrive in safe, healthy, and resilient communities. To do this, the division led a statewide assessment to identify Idaho’s top health priorities. The assessment included data that identified the most common reasons Idahoan’s get sick or die, and interviews with regional and local organizations to better understand the needs of the people they serve.

The result was a list of health risk and outcome measures that included the top causes of death, rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, health behaviors such as diet and exercise, and community factors such as poverty levels and access to healthy food (known as social determinants of health).

Once all the data were collected and organized, the division brought partners together to vote and agree on the state’s top health priorities, which are:

• Diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Behavioral health
• Unintentional injury (specifically motor-vehicle accidents, falls and accidental poisoning/drug overdose)

Following the assessment, the division developed a five-year plan to impact those priorities. The assessment and health improvement plan is known as Get Healthy Idaho: Building Healthy and Resilient Communities (GHI).

Following is more information about the four priority health issues.

Diabetes

In 2022, more than 145,661 Idaho adults, nearly 10 percent of the state population, were living with diabetes.

In general, people with diabetes are more likely to have severe symptoms and complications if they get sick from any virus regardless if they have type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes. The risk for severe sickness is likely to be lower if the diabetes is well managed. Being up-to-date on immunizations and sticking with treatment regimens to manage diabetes are key prevention strategies.

The Idaho Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke Prevention Program is working with heart disease and diabetes associations, state universities, national diabetes prevention programs, Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Programs, health systems, and pharmacies throughout Idaho to prevent and manage diabetes.

Overweight and obesity

Idaho, like most states, is seeing a steady increase in the percentage of its population that is overweight or obese. According to the Idaho Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the percentage of Idaho adults aged 18 and older who report having obesity increased from 20.5 percent in 2001 to 31.6 percent in 2021.

The same is true for Idaho youth. In 2021, 28.1 percent of Idaho high school students described themselves as slightly or very overweight, and 11.9 percent were obese, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Obesity rates vary by population and county. Idahoans who are Hispanic, Latino, American Indian and Alaskan Native experience the highest obesity rates, as do those who live in Canyon and Power counties compared to people living in Valley County, for example.

To impact overweight and obesity, communities must come together to ensure supports are in place for families and individuals. Some of these supports include ensuring healthy foods are available and affordable and outdoor environments are safe for exercise and activity.

The Idaho Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (IPAN) is working with several partners to support obesity prevention efforts statewide, including local public health districts; the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Idaho Network; Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force; the SNAP-Ed Program; and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program in the Division of Public Health.

Behavioral Health

Behavioral health conditions include both mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses. These affect millions of adults and young people in Idaho and the U.S. every year.

Mental health professionals are few in numbers, and demand is high in all of Idaho’s 44 counties. For those who live in rural areas of Idaho, finding treatment services for behavioral health issues can be especially hard.

The Division of Public Health works closely with the Division of Behavioral Health, the Idaho Office on Drug Policy, and other key stakeholders to help Idahoans who need behavioral health and substance use disorder services get access to those services when they need them.

The Drug Overdose Prevention Program, in the Division of Public Health, works with partners and stakeholders to focus specifically on the growing opioid crisis. Their efforts include working with and educating prescribers to use the Idaho Prescription Drug Monitoring Program; funding naloxone trainings to help prevent overdoses, supporting prescription-drug take-back events, and educating healthcare providers and the public through local public health districts and tribal public health events.

Unintentional injury (specifically motor-vehicle accidents, falls and accidental poisoning/drug overdose)

Unintentional injuries involving motor vehicle accidents, discharge of firearms, drownings, suffocations, falls, and unintentional drug overdoses, are a big concern in Idaho. They were the fourth leading cause of death in Idaho in 2021, with a total of 1,163 deaths.

Unintentional injury can result in permanent disability and cause serious financial impacts to people and their families. These injuries can be prevented by understanding the risks for injury and adopting proven intervention strategies. Accidental falls, motor vehicle accidents, and accidental poisoning from drugs and other harmful substances were selected as Idaho’s top injury priorities.

The Division of Public Health is working with several partners, including local public health districts, Idaho Department of Transportation, Idaho Office on Drug Policy, the Division of Behavioral Health, and the division’s Drug Overdose Prevention Program to study and address these issues.

More details about each of these Public Health priorities is available in the Get Healthy Idaho: Building Healthy and Resilient Communities (GHI).

Traci Berreth, PhD, MPH, is a deputy administrator in the Division of Public Health. She leads the division’s cross-cutting efforts around performance, policy, and strategy. Traci has worked in the division for 23 years.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

I was honored last Saturday, Sept. 9, to join some of Idaho’s kinship families and DHW staff in Boise to celebrate Idaho Kinship  Day, which recognizes families in which relatives or adults with significant relationships with a child takes on the responsibility of parenting when parents are unable to.

The Kinship Day events DHW hosted in Boise, Pocatello, and Coeur d’Alene were hosted in outdoor parks and included story walks, each featuring artwork and expressions submitted as part of My Family. My Story., an art and expression series DHW has sponsored annually since 2011.

The intent of My Family. My Story. is to help children, youth, and kinship caregivers express and feel connected to others in kinship care, and to celebrate and honor the contributions of kinship caregivers.  It is also an opportunity to celebrate our partners who walk alongside kinship families in their journey.

Walking among the art and expressions in Boise was a moving experience. Through drawings, photography, poetry, and essays, kinship caregivers, children, and partners who submitted entries to My Family. My Story. helped illustrate the important contributions kinship care makes for Idahoans.

One kinship grandparent described how proud of and amazed they are by their grandson, and even though they hadn’t pictured their lives raising him they wouldn’t want it any other way. They talked about how much hope and excitement they have for his future. 

One young person in kinship care described her earlier years of turmoil and homelessness, and how when she went to live with her aunt and uncle it was the best day of her life.

Some additional examples from this and previous years include:

• Children expressing feelings of safety and security
• Children expressing love for their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members
• Children describing the feeling of broken dreams followed by restored hope
• A grandmother expressing her journey as a kinship caregiver by creating a photo quilt

In addition to the My Family. My Story. story walks, the Kinship Day events also included presentations from DHW staff, a reading of a Kinship Day proclamation signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little, celebrations of kinship champions, and resources and information from DHW and community partners.

Though there are many kinship caregivers in Idaho, the majority aren’t aware of assistance that’s available to them. There is a list of resources available on the Idaho 2-1-1 Careline: Kinship and Caregiving. Resources include financial, legal, kinship navigation, support, respite and educational information. If you are a kinship caregiver, please take a look, and if you know a kinship caregiver, please pass along this information about the resources available to help them in their labor of love.

For more information on resources and supports available to kinship caregivers and children, visit the DHW website at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/kinship-and-caregiving.

I’d like to offer a special thanks to Idaho’s kinship families for making a difference in Idaho, and to DHW staff for helping to recognize the efforts of Idaho’s kinship families.

I’d also like to recognize our community partners who attended and provided information to families, including: Area Agency on Aging, Boise Community Schools, Boise Urban Garden School (BUGZ), Casey Family Programs, Family Caregiver Navigator Project, Idaho Relatives As Parents (IRAP), Friends of Children and Families, Inc., Head Start & Early Head Start, Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, Idaho Botanical Gardens, and The Wardrobe.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Navigating the complexities of the health care system can be a challenge, but organizations throughout Idaho are turning to staff called Community Health Workers to add value to their organizations and the communities they serve.

Community Health Workers are frontline public health workers with the goal of connecting people with their health care systems. They promote trust and build relationships in their communities to expand access to care.

The Division of Public Health at DHW recently published two new videos to help illustrate the value Community Health Workers add to the organizations that employ them and the communities they serve, and to encourage more organizations to consider implementing Community Health Worker programs.

Titled “The Value of Community Health Workers,” the videos showcase the vital contributions these workers make in their organizations and communities.

“The doctor can sit there and talk to you for 15 minutes, but I’ve got a Community Health Worker who can go out and talk to you for an hour,” Robin Mangan from Lost River Medical Center points out in one of the videos. (View the videos: Video A, Video B.)

A growing body of research shows that a Community Health Worker program can:

• Help people with or at risk for chronic health conditions
• Improve health outcomes and access
• Promote better patient experience with a relationship-building approach
• Decrease overall costs through a reduction in emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and missed healthcare appointments

Visit DHW’s Community Health Worker employer webpage to find Idaho-specific reports on Community Health Workers, national resources to help start a Community Health Worker program in your organization, and information about Community Health Worker training in Idaho.

Jackie Amende Lewis is a Health Program Specialist with the Chronic Disease Section in the Division of Public Health.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Late last week the Department of Health and Welfare completed its reevaluation of Idaho Medicaid participants whose benefits were protected under federal law during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In all, DHW staff processed 153,196 renewals, and 31,900 were determined eligible, and 121,296 were ineligible.

During the pandemic, federal law required states to maintain Medicaid coverage for participants unless they died, moved out of state, or asked to be removed. The federal requirement expired March 31, 2023, and DHW started sending notices to the Medicaid protection population for eligibility re-evaluation in February.

This has been a large and important undertaking that DHW has taken very seriously. We committed more than 300 eligibility staff to the effort and an additional 42 staff from our call center, and our operation design and policy teams provided amazing support. 

We made attempts to reach every Idahoan on Medicaid by mailing multiple renewal notices, sending text messages, and developing an online portal. We reached out via social media campaigns, collaborated with community stakeholders, made media appearances, and wrote extensively about the process on our website.

I also want to make sure Idahoans understand that people who were determined ineligible aren’t being cut off from healthcare coverage. Of those who were determined ineligible, 30% obtained coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace at Your Health Idaho.

Moreover, Medicaid is always available to people who need it and who qualify for the program. Unlike private insurance that has specific open enrollment periods with limited exceptions, any person, including those who failed to complete a renewal, can apply for Medicaid coverage at any time.

Even if a person loses eligibility because they haven’t been able to respond in a timely way or only learn they’ve lost eligibility when they visit the doctor, Medicaid always remains available. Idaho’s program also includes an eligibility reconsideration period and will retroactively restore people who qualify as they reapply within 90 days.

Idaho was one of the most prepared and first states to begin the unwinding effort and has one of the most efficient timelines for completing reevaluations in the nation. This efficiency resulted because, unlike many states, Idaho never stopped completing Medicaid renewals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. That gave Idaho the ability to better support unwinding activities.

Finally, as we transition back to routine processing of Medicaid redeterminations, I want to acknowledge the huge amount of effort this required from our staff. The task of processing more than 150,000 renewals was in addition to their day-to-day workloads, and I’m humbled by their dedication to the people of Idaho to do this work efficiently and accurately.

For more details about Medicaid Protection in Idaho: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/medicaidprotection

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The Idaho Violent Death Reporting System staff are pleased to announce that an updated and expanded version of the IdVDRS Data Dashboard is now published on the Get Healthy Idaho website. This dashboard contains updates to the look and feel, expanded mortality rate data, and two new tabs of circumstantial data relating to suicides and homicides.

Violent deaths are those that result from the use of force or power against oneself or another person. The definition includes homicides, suicides, deaths from legal intervention, deaths of undetermined intent, and deaths resulting from the accidental discharge of a firearm.

All of these data are compiled each year and published to the Idaho Violent Death Reporting System dashboard, which was updated with 2022 data on Friday, Sept. 1.

The Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics within the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare was funded in 2018 by the CDC to establish the Idaho Violent Death Reporting System (IdVDRS), which collects data from three primary sources: death certificates, coroner’s reports, and law enforcement reports.

By combining information on a violent death from these three sources, the national reporting system builds a comprehensive picture of the circumstances in a victim’s life that have led to, or contributed to, their violent death.

The IdVDRS collects data on all violent deaths that occur each year in Idaho. By collecting comprehensive data about violent deaths, IdVDRS partners can create targeted, evidence-based prevention strategies to help reduce the burden of violent deaths in Idaho.

Following are some details about violent deaths among Idaho residents from 2014 to 2022:

• Most violent deaths in Idaho happen among people 25 to 54 years old, with the highest concentration in the 35 to 44 years-old age bracket. The majority of Idaho’s violent deaths happened in Idaho’s more populated counties including Ada (955), Canyon (465), Kootenai (378), Bannock (309), Bonneville (279), and Twin Falls (241).
• For homicides recorded in the database, 56.8% involved an argument that preceded death, and 27.3% involved intimate partner violence.
• The majority of violent death victims (77.3%) were men.
• For suicides in the database, 68.9% involved a crisis that preceded death, 24.9% involved people diagnosed with depression, and 58.2% involved alcohol.
• The two leading causes of violent death in Idaho from 2014 to 2022 were firearm and suffocation/hanging, followed by drug poisoning.
• While incomplete, preliminary 2023 data show violent deaths trending lower than the previous three years.

The data presented on the IdVDRS dashboard are for Idaho residents. The exception is the up-to-date suicide and violent death tab, which includes deaths occurring in Idaho, regardless of resident status.

The IdVDRS is a part of the National Violent Death Reporting System, which since 2002 has provided a comprehensive, state-based public health surveillance system overseen by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

• View the updated Idaho Violent Death Reporting System dashboard here.

Emily LaFrance is principal research analyst and program manager for the Idaho Violent Death Reporting System in the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. She holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) uses our Strategic Plan as a roadmap to define and share who we are as an agency, what our goals are, and how we plan to get there.

Over the past year, we have worked to follow our roadmap toward our mission of strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Our new Strategic Plan cycle began in July and goes through June 30, 2024.

Each week, the senior leadership team discusses real-time updates about progress in our strategic work. Today I want to highlight some of the progress and key achievements we’ve made.

Strategic Goal 1: Become an employer of choice for current and future DHW employees 

An engaged and skilled workforce is at the heart of the department’s work to serve Idahoans, so we want to make sure our team is supported and feels accomplished by the work they do.

Enhancing the work environment for staff, boosting employee retention rates, and recruiting new staff to increase accessibility and deliver uninterrupted services to Idahoans will make DHW an even better place to work.

The first Strategic Objective for our new Goal 1 is to use engagement surveys and employee feedback to improve the employee experience. To help us achieve this objective we’ve established Task 1.1.1: Create and implement an Employee Engagement Advisory Council (EEAC) by June 30, 2024.

We’re excited to report that we received 118 nominations, representing 103 unique individuals to serve on the council. This is a terrific response and shows how invested our employees are to help improve employee engagement across the department.

The committee will eventually seat between 16 and 20, so in the coming weeks nominations will be vetted and selections made with an eye toward finalizing the committee by Sept. 29.

As we reflect on the progress we hope to make through the work this new employee committee will undertake, I’m filled with gratitude and admiration for the hard work put in every day by DHW staff, and by the countless partners who continue to help us along the way.

As we prepare to move our focus toward next steps, I’m confident we’ll continue to innovate and collaborate in our work together to serve Idahoans.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.