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Gilpin County approves contract with Dr. Jessica Bridal as public health medical officer
Summary
After the county's previous medical officer retired, commissioners authorized a contract with Dr. Jessica Bridal to serve as public health medical officer at up to $200 per hour, not to exceed $10,000 annually unless emergency authorization is required.
The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners voted to authorize the county manager to execute a 2025 public-health medical officer contract with Dr. Jessica Bridal, who will replace retiring Dr. Mark Johnson. The board approved terms consistent with the prior arrangement: $200 per hour, up to $10,000 per year for routine service, with separate action possible if an emergency requires additional compensation.
Public-health staff described Bridal’s qualifications during the meeting: she completed a fellowship in operational and disaster medicine, serves as a physician lead at the University of Colorado School of Medicine for disaster preparedness, and is a member of the Colorado Disaster Medical Assistance Team. County staff said Bridal will help update the county’s public-health emergency operations plans and support planning for medical countermeasures and emergency preparedness, including in high-visitor settings such as the casino district.
Commissioners emphasized the value of the physician’s disaster-preparedness experience and noted the contract mirrors the county’s prior arrangement with Dr. Johnson. The resolution authorizes the county manager to execute the contract after review by the county attorney.
Why it matters: having an on‑call medical officer with disaster-preparedness experience supports Gilpin County’s ability to respond to infectious‑disease incidents and other public‑health emergencies and helps the county comply with public-health planning requirements.
Ending: Commissioners invited Bridal to the March board of public-health meeting for introduction and implementation planning.
