Brainard appointed deputy director of Public Health

Community notice
Sept. 23, 2022

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County Public Health has named Sara Brainard as its first-ever deputy director. Most recently public health’s nurse manager, Brainard has worked with the department since 2001.

“Sara possesses a unique level of experience with a background in local, state, and global public health work,” said Garfield County Public Health Director Joshua Williams. “She knows how to navigate difficult situations to get things done for the people of Garfield County. We are happy to have Sara to help us advance our goals for the department in delivering better health opportunities to our community.”

Brainard, who has a Master of Science degree in nursing, has also worked for the Washington State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO). During her work with the CDC and WHO, Brainard was based out of Ethiopia, where she provided training to villages on disease control and immunization practices to stop the transmission of polio. From 2019 to 2021, she served as chair of the Colorado Organization of Nurse Leaders.

At Garfield County, Brainard has played an integral role in managing staff and public health programming, as well as developing new preventive health programs and initiatives to improve the health of residents in Garfield County.