THIS IS A RAPIDLY EVOLVING AND FLUID SITUATION.  INFORMATION AND ACTION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME.  BE PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE AND PATIENT.

The situations, numbers, website links, data, and etc. described below were current as of Tuesday 12/8/2020 at 10:15 am.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY

12/8/2020 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #2:  Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (AVRMC) Discontinues COVID-19 Testing

Please take the time to read and understand this entire message. 

Internet links:  Before I send out each update, I check the links to make sure they are active.  However, links do change from time to time, so the links I sent out today may not be the same tomorrow.  You may have to search around a bit.

Hello to all, the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (AVRMC) has discontinued its COVID-19 community testing, effective immediately.  Yesterday, 12/7/2020, I received the following statement from AVRMC:  “After months of providing community testing, AVRMC will no longer be providing this free service.  The Medical Center currently has 32 employees out due to community exposure, and the testing staff is needed to help administer care to the COVID patients we have as well as the other patients on site.”

We certainly appreciate very much what AVRMC has done, and continues to do, for our communities in Southeast Colorado. 

Members of my staff and I will be meeting tomorrow, and we will be discussing community testing along with the Alternate Care Facility (ACF) and COVID-19 vaccination planning.  I will keep you updated regarding these important topics. 

In the meantime, if you are in need of a COVID-19 test, please contact your medical provider or contact Valley Wide Health System’s (VWHS) Convenient Care in La Junta. 

Additionally, here is a website that details COVID-19 testing sites across the state of Colorado:  CDPHE Test Sites Portal (colorado.gov)

Richard Ritter, Executive Director

Otero County Health Department

13 West 3rd Street, Room 111

La Junta, Colorado 81050

719-383-3045 (Office)

719-383-3060 (Fax)

rritter@oterogov.org

SECO NEWS ENCOURAGES ONLY SHARING PUBLIC HEALTH INFOMATION FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES