Public Health

Two Colorado Hospitals Are Exceptional at Giving Hepatitis B Birth Dose

Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta and Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton are among 506 institutions that are honored by the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC). The Honor Roll recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that have achieved coverage rates of 90% or more for administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth. There are 9…

The Colorado Academy of Family Physicians Opposes Racism
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The Colorado Academy of Family Physicians Opposes Racism

The last few months have seen a tremendous upheaval in our society, from the COVID-19 pandemic to, more recently, a mass movement to demand action in response to police brutality toward people of color. We as doctors are not immune from this upheaval. I am so proud of how all of you have responded to…

Childhood Immunization schedule updated for 2020

New guidelines for the childhood immunization schedule have been released. The changes provide updates that have proven to be safe and effective at preventing specific diseases at various stages of a child’s development. The approved schedules include recommended vaccinations from birth through 18 years as well as recommended catch-up schedules for children four months to…

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As We Look Toward a Post-Coronavirus Future, Don’t Forget Rural Hospitals

This post is part of a new series CAFP is hosting, which will be highlighting and amplifying the voices of family physicians as they adapt to continuing their vital work of safeguarding communities under extremely difficult circumstances. This first piece is from Kajsa Harris, MD, who was a former president of CAFP. The COVID-19 pandemic…

Helping a Rural Community Manage Chronic Pain Medication
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Helping a Rural Community Manage Chronic Pain Medication

This is a story from the Spring 2020 Issue of our magazine, written by Glenn Kotz, MD, and Jarrid Rollins, LCSW. Few things are as frustrating as when a chronic pain sufferer comes into the office for an early refill on their main medication. The negotiation over how much medication to refill needs to be…

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An Update Snapshot of Colorado’s COVID-19 Response

The office of Governor Polis has provided some updates and information about the state’s pandemic response. We have lightly edited this information for the benefit of our members. Quick Links to Stay Up to Date Governor’s Facebook Page covid19.colorado.gov Topline Update As of 4/1/20, Colorado has 3,342 cases and 620 hospitalizations out of 18,645 completed…

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Why Colorado Needs a Statewide Stay-At-Home Order

The CAFP recently issued a formal letter to governor Polis, where we in part urged him to issue a statewide stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (we also urged him to take additional actions to safeguard the healthcare workforce through better communications and a greater effort to secure PPE). We are asking for…

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The Struggle to Secure PPE for Primary Care Providers

CAFP member Fred Grover, Jr., MD, FAAFP, a Family Medicine Physician in the Denver metro area, recently faced a difficult situation: an employee in his office tested positive for COVID-19. He tells his story below: [The employee] had a fever with cough eight days ago and could not get tested till last Wednesday. I am…

Improving Data Quality in the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS)

Also known as Colorado’s immunization registry, the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) is a confidential, population-based, secure computerized system that collects and consolidates individual-level vaccination and exemption data for Coloradans of all ages from a variety of sources. Approximately 190 pediatric clinics currently report immunization data to CIIS.  For this issue of the American Academy…

COVID-19 Resources
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COVID-19 Resources

Updated December 2022 Public Health Resources Starting January 1, 2023, Coloradans who need help making an appointment by phone to get a COVID-19 vaccine or need vaccine information should use the CDC’s free COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 1-800-232-0233. CDC information for healthcare workers on COVID-19. CDPHE interactive map of testing sites. Vaccination information Treatment information…

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VAERS – Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

What is the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)? VAERS is a passive reporting system established in 1990 as a national early warning system to detect possible safety concerns in U.S.-licensed vaccines. The program, co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accepts and analyzes…

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What Colorado Doctors Can Do in the Face of a Severe Influenza Outbreak

This is a guest post from Gergory Gahm, MD. It contains his opinion as a clinician and is not necessarily reflective of the views of CAFP or its membership. If any of our members would like to continue this conversation, be in touch and we’ll host the conversation. We are buried in Influenza and almost…