At Grand County Rural Health Network, we have always believed in assisting our community in times of emergency response. Starting in 2020 with the East Troublesome Fire in Grand Lake, Colorado, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we found our unique role in providing our services, as well as those of our partners, to those most impacted. Below are more details about the impact we made to help our community to thrive and be healthy, despite the tough times.
Our COVID-19 Pandemic Impact
We faced unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacting our economy.
Whether it was making sure our neighbors had basic needs met or connecting residents to important services, we were there to ensure this support system was ready and able to keep our community strong.
We worked diligently with Grand County Public Health, Department of Human Services, and all our Grand County partners and volunteers to create a plan that ensured our neighbors – especially our vulnerable populations – had access to what they needed during the pandemic and economic crisis.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our primary goals were:
- Prevent the spread and support recovery of illness for staff and vulnerable populations.
- Continue essential function operations to support vulnerable populations.
In 2020, we saw almost twice the normal need for our ACHES and PAINS health care vouchers, issuing 405 vouchers in 2020 compared to 271 vouchers in 2019. Additionally, mental health voucher requests increased 169% over 2019, and that trend remained in 2021. We worked with community partners to set up a human services system that was responsive and supportive for COVID-specific needs. We worked with state partners to change application assistance programs so we could assist people virtually.
*The infographic to the right represents our COVID-19 related efforts January-July 2020.
In 2021 we collaborated with partners to provide outreach, education, scheduling and transportation assistance to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Since February 2021, the Network’s team had outreached to over 900 vaccine-eligible individuals via more than 1000 interactions. In March 2021, we contracted a Spanish-speaking consultant who had outreached to over 120 Spanish-speaking community members, providing education, scheduling assistance, and on-site language interpretation at vaccine clinics. We also coordinated a minimum of 840 volunteer hours in support of Dept. of Public Health vaccine clinics.
During this pandemic, as an organization we believed: Now more than ever, we are hopeful that we will come out stronger together. We will value the backbone of our community: grocery store and gas station workers, truck drivers, teachers, nonprofit organizations, etc. We understand the importance of public health, first responders, and health care workers. We will come together to create a healthier society.
We will beat this. Because we are healthier, and stronger, together! We are Grand!
Grand County residents continue to need community resources – some for the first time in their lives.
Our Impact During the East Troublesome Fire
