Montezuma County health fair set for April 18; state mobile clinic to offer free vaccines

Bobby Lock, director of the Montezuma County Public Health Department, announced that the county will hold a health fair on April 18 from 8 a.m. to noon featuring low-cost laboratory testing, hearing screening and a state mobile immunization clinic that will offer free vaccines.

"The health fair is next Saturday, which is April 18 from 8 to 12," Lock said, outlining partnerships with the local hospital and the state public health mobile clinic. He said vendors, hearing testing and a "talk with a doc" station will be part of the event and that the hospital has helped finalize the layout and traffic flow.

The fair will include on-site lab draws and a pre-registration process to speed service. Lock said pre-registration is available via a QR code posted on the county and hospital websites and social media. "If you're doing lab work, it's highly recommended to pre register," he said, adding that lab payment will be by cash, check or credit and that Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance will not be billed for patient-initiated testing.

Organizers described a one-way traffic plan through the annex building: pre-registered attendees will enter at the north annex entrance, proceed to lab draws in the senior dining area, then move through a central room for clinical stations before exiting onto Chestnut Street. Volunteers will be asked to park in the annex and clerk's-office lots so public parking remains available; roughly 95 volunteers had signed up at the time of the meeting. The hospital's dietary team will provide a volunteer breakfast at 7 a.m., and EMS will be present during the fair.

Lock said the state mobile immunization clinic is already scheduled to attend. "The state of Colorado Public Health Department [mobile clinic] will offer free vaccines," he said, noting the department hopes to measure local uptake this year and plan more in-house capacity with the hospital in future iterations.

The department will hold an after-action meeting the week following the fair to review what worked and what needs adjustment and to set a tentative date for next year, Lock said.

The board encouraged outreach to raise turnout, including radio PSAs and municipal newsletters; organizers also posted the QR registration link on county and hospital Facebook pages. The department invited the public to the open house on Thursday, April 9 (11 a.m.–1 p.m.), where the dental clinic will be open for tours but not for patient appointments.

The board expects to review the fair's after-action and next steps at future meetings. The minutes show the board approved the prior meeting's minutes at the start of the session.