We are Grand County Physicians, PAs, NPs, and CRNAs that have devoted years to the health and well-being of Grand County residents and visitors. We have counseled you in times of illness, cared for you in medical emergencies, delivered your children and grandchildren, treated your parents and grandparents, and held hands with you when your loved ones pass away.

We are all vaccinated against COVID-19 and have vaccinated all of our eligible immediate family members. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, particularly with respect to the prevention of severe illness and death from COVID infection. Grand County is experiencing a surge in cases, children missing school, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19, and we feel compelled to take a firm stand in support of the COVID-19 vaccine for the eligible public.

The front range hospitals are often full and unable to receive more COVID or ICU patients due in part to the surge in COVID admits. Middle Park Health has been admitting COVID patients in both locations over the past several months. In some severe cases we must keep ICU patients until an ICU bed becomes available and EMS is able to transport them long distances. Often, this involves transferring them as far as Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, and Longmont.

We would like your help to bring this current surge under control and hopefully prevent future surges by receiving one of the COVID vaccines. Currently, vaccines and prevention measures are the most effective defense against severe COVID infections. There are other medications in development that may show to be helpful, but they are not currently available.

If you have not been immunized against COVID-19 and you are eligible for the vaccine, we strongly urge you to protect yourself and our communities by scheduling an appointment for yourself and your eligible family members to get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, our schools, and our community.

Visit the Grand County Public Health web page for more information. https://www.co.grand.co.us/vaccine

— Jason Stuerman MD GCPH Officer, Michelle Lupica MD MPH ED Director, Rebecca Jacobson FNP-C, Patrick Barry MD, Astrid Lampey MD, Darcy Selenke MD, Kelley Glancey MD, Lyndsey Stuerman NP, Mark Wisner MD, Thomas Coburn MD, Robert Anderson MD, Lisa Floyd DO, David Maurer MD, Todd Odegaard DO, Meghan Mont DO, Rachel Scott FNP, Abbie Steinbrueck PA-C, Christina Travis FNP-C