Blogs – Welcome to Healthy Mesa County

May 28, 2020

Lonely during the pandemic? You’re not alone

by Amy Weitzel While many people during the COVID-19 pandemic have been consumed with the lack of alone time, struggles of dealing with demands of work and of homeschooling children, or getting along with people they are confined with, others have dealt with a very different challenge: being completely and […]

May 14, 2020

Protecting Our Most Vulnerable During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While COVID-19 cases remain fairly low, we cannot forget the importance of protecting the most vulnerable populations in Mesa County. As we reflect on the news nationwide, most of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks have been within congregate care facilities – residential settings with 24-hour staff, like assisted living, jails, and […]

May 7, 2020

Understanding COVID-19: What is Contact Tracing?

In recent weeks, we’ve all begun to hear the words “contact tracing”– seemingly everywhere. As epidemiologists, we are constantly studying patterns, whether patterns of infection or patterns of injury, and part of that study involves contact tracing. Contact tracing is just another way of saying we trace each positive infection […]

April 30, 2020

Going the (Social) Distance

The residents of Mesa County have gone the (social) distance and taken our directive to stay at home, use cloth face coverings, socially distance, and avoid large gatherings seriously. We had the advantage of time as we watched COVID-19 spread from China to Italy, Washington, California, and New York, and […]

January 8, 2020

Revamping Resolutions into Intentions

By: Lindsay Maurer It’s 2020! We have all made another trip around the sun and even welcomed a new decade! Did you set any resolutions? I get it…we promise ourselves we’ll lose weight, spend less money, or see family more often. We know that once these things happen, our lives […]

December 23, 2019

December 23, 2019

What you might not know

by Joan Mulleady While the excitement of the season is here, for many the holidays are the best time of year and for others the worst. For child victims of trauma, as well as adult survivors, for anyone who has experienced loss, this time of year can bring joyful anticipation […]

November 5, 2019

Trails for Everyone

By Sarah Brooks With the vast number of trails, open space, and recreational opportunities in the Grand Valley, it is no surprise that another trail has been added to the map. This time, the trail was designed specifically to meet the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), […]

September 18, 2019

Trails offer a path to community well-being

By Jeff Kuhr How we define health and the role of public health reflects our community priorities. At Mesa County Public Health, we’ve taken an upstream approach to community health. It’s not uncommon for community members to ask me why Mesa County Public Health is involved in so many […]

August 29, 2019

The library’s community garden, where we can all grow

By Nicole Fitzgerald Going into my third year of working for Mesa County Libraries, I find myself just as excited and amazed at the resources we provide to our community as I did on day one. I want to shout from the rooftops, “Do you know we have a digital […]

July 24, 2019

10 tips for new or young job hunters

by Rhonda Johnson Becoming an adult is exciting, but it can also be challenging when you think of all that it encompasses! One big challenge for young adults is finding a job. It’s a task that can seem overwhelming. Here are my top 10 tips to help you get you […]

July 17, 2019

Peaks and Valleys: Getting Well and Staying Well

By Keira Lusby During the summer of 2016, I spent several weeks struggling with overwhelming anxiety and depression. It took months to admit to myself that I needed help, but once I did, the grueling journey of seeking wellness began. My counselor was stern but patient and knowledgeable. We discussed […]

June 24, 2019

Take the Bus! Let Grand Valley Transit do the driving for you

by Sarah Brooks Grand Valley Transit (GVT) is the local bus system in Mesa County, serving Grand Junction, Fruita, Clifton, and Palisade. GVT operates 11 routes in Mesa County with service Monday-Saturday, except on holidays. Though buses run on a schedule, the SPOT app also shows the real-time location of […]

May 28, 2019

Got plans to enjoy the river? Beware of hidden dangers

by Deputy Derrick Strauch We are lucky to live in such a beautiful area with access to several local rivers. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is go rafting with a group of friends. But rivers can also be very dangerous, especially this year. As […]

April 30, 2019

Pump up your tires – Bike Month is here!

by Gary Stubler May is Bike Month in the Grand Valley. This active observance is organized by Mesa County Public Health and includes a variety of events—like FREE breakfast for those who bike to work on May 8th, a mountain bike film festival on May 16th, and a Bike Month […]

April 23, 2019

Bikes, books and kids

by Devon Balet There is a little known fact surrounding books and children in our country. In the United States, in low-income areas, there is ONE age appropriate book in the home for every THREE HUNDRED children. One in every 300. That number can be hard to grasp, especially if […]