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The Region 8 Office, based in Denver, Colorado, serves Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

Region 8 is a primarily characterized as rural, frontier, and wilderness due to its low population density. Although the population density is low, there has been population growth across the region during the past 10 years.

Many factors present challenges in health outcomes including access to health care and education, economic stability, the vast and differential geography & community contexts. The Region 8 Office is committed to working with urban areas, including those along the Front Range, and rural and frontier areas throughout the region. Region 8 prioritizes health and the resilience of the population while collaborating with stakeholders to address challenges across the population.

Region 8 also includes 32 federally recognized Tribes, and 16 Tribal colleges/universities. American Indians live in both urban and rural areas across Region 8. The Region 8 Office serves to improve the health of American Indians through partnership, targeted technical assistance, and coordination between Tribes and federal partners.

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Region 8 Health Operations Staff

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Region 8 Regional Health Administrator
Sally Abbott, PhD, MS
Region8OASH@hhs.gov

Sally Abbott, PhD, MS is the Regional Health Administrator (RHA) for or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), in Region 8. As the senior federal public health official in the region, Dr. Abbott performs essential functions for HHS in three major areas: prevention, preparedness, and agency-wide coordination. 

Dr. Abbott serves as the primary liaison for state and local public health officials as they interact with HHS/OASH, and her team regularly partners with other federal agencies, as well as community and faith based organizations, academic public health and medical centers, health delivery systems, and philanthropies and a broad range of non-health partners to improve health outcomes across the region.

Dr. Abbott has worked in public service for over 15 years, joining OASH in 2020.   Prior to the Federal Dr. Abbott worked with the Feinstein International Center, the United Nations Children's Fund, and spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Mali. Dr. Abbott received her MS and PhD in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University.

Dr. Abbott joined OASH in 2020 after nearly a decade at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). At USAID, she spent two years as the Acting Nutrition Division Chief within the Bureau for Food Security and led the standing up of a new Center for Nutrition during USAID’s reorganization. 

Prior to USAID, Dr. Abbott worked with the Feinstein International Center, the United Nations Children's Fund, and spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Mali. Dr. Abbott received her MS and PhD in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University.

Senior Public Health Advisor
Contact Region8OASH@hhs.gov

Regional Public Health Analyst
June Homdayjanakul, DrPH, MPH
june.homdayjanakul@hhs.gov