Conejos County Public Health

05/28/2026

Conejos County Road & Bridge is seeking a CDL Driver/Equipment Operator. Must be able to operate a loader, grader, belly dump, and drive a semi. Must have a class A Commercial Driver’s License, clean driving record and pass a preemployment drug screen & background check. Salary $20.92/hr/DOQ and full health benefits package. Applications available via email upon request at [email protected]. or call 719-376-6799. Deadline 06/03/26.

05/19/2026

Conejos County Sheriff’s is seeking a Full time Cook for our jail facility. Performs institutional cooking involving the preparation of a large volume and variety of food. Must be familiar with health and safety food precautions and State and local health regulations. Salary $21.88/hr DOQ and full health benefits package. County application form required. Inquiries call 719-376-6799 or email upon request at [email protected]. Deadline 5/26/26.

05/07/2026

This week we’re celebrating Nurse Appreciation Week… and we couldn’t let it pass without recognizing our Public Health Nurse, Veronica Baroz 💉❤️

For the last 3 years, Veronica has helped keep our community healthy by providing vaccines, answering questions, tracking records, helping families, calming nervous kiddos (and adults 👀), and making sure people in Conejos County have access to important immunizations and public health services.

A lot of people only see “the shot” but behind the scenes there’s a ton of work, care, organization, and patience that goes into keeping a community protected.

So this week we just want to say THANK YOU, Veronica, for everything you do for our community. We appreciate you more than you know. 🩺✨

05/07/2026

05/07/2026

Need a Little Extra Help at Home? We’re Here for You!

The Personal Care Provider (P*P) Program through Conejos County Public Health is designed to help individuals remain as independent as possible while continuing to live safely and comfortably in their own homes.

Our services may include:
**Meal preparation
**Basic housekeeping & cleaning
**Bathing assistance
**Ambulation & exercise support
**Medication reminders
**Dressing & clothing changes
** Laundry assistance
**And more!

Participants must qualify for Long Term Medicaid.

If you or a loved one could benefit from extra support at home, we encourage you to reach out and learn more about how we can help.

📞 Call Conejos County Public Health P*P Program today: 719-274-4307

💙 We are here to help you maintain your independence at home.

05/07/2026

Have you ever wondered what Conejos County would actually do during a major emergency?

Flooding.
A wildfire.
A mass casualty incident.
A large power outage.
Severe weather.
A disease outbreak.

One part of Public Health many people may not realize exists is Emergency Preparedness.

A big part of our job is making sure plans are in place BEFORE emergencies happen. Those plans are constantly being updated, reviewed, trained on, and coordinated alongside other local agencies and partners.

Conejos County Public Health works closely with Conejos County Emergency Management, Rodney King, and emergency response partners throughout the San Luis Valley to help prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters.

That can include:

✔️ Sharing emergency information and updates with residents
✔️ Assisting with evacuation information and shelter locations
✔️ Helping coordinate resources and community support
✔️ Providing guidance on re-entry after an incident depending on safety conditions
✔️ Supporting communication between agencies and the public
✔️ Assisting with public health concerns during emergencies

No single agency handles emergencies alone. During larger incidents, support can also come from surrounding agencies and emergency partners across the Valley.

We want the community to know there ARE plans in place — and those plans are continuously being worked on to help Conejos County respond as safely and effectively as possible when emergencies happen.

A lot of this work happens quietly behind the scenes… but preparedness matters long before an emergency ever starts!!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post to learn more about other services and programs offered through Conejos County Public Health.

05/06/2026

We know… we’ve been a little quiet on Facebook lately. 👀
But we’re working on changing that and keeping our community more informed about the services available right here through Conejos County Public Health.
So let’s start with one of the things we do every Thursday… vaccines. 💉
Our Public Health Nurse is Veronica Fringer-Baroz, and Dr. Clint Sowards serves as our Medical Director.
Did you know we have vaccine records dating back to the 1980s? If you or your child were vaccinated in Conejos County over the years and you’ve ever wondered where those records are or if you were born in the 80-90s and lived in Conejos County there’s a good chance we may have a copy on file!!!

We also offer low-cost to no-cost vaccines for all ages from infants to older adults.

And the best part?
You do NOT need a doctor’s appointment to get vaccinated here.
Skip the extra appointment and come straight to Public Health for quick, convenient vaccines.
We offer:
✔️ Childhood immunizations
✔️ Adult vaccines
✔️ Flu vaccines
✔️ Age-recommended vaccines
🎓 Graduation season is here, and many seniors heading to college may need the meningitis vaccine before moving into dorms.
Good news!!! We offer that vaccine right here at Public Health, and we’d love to help get students taken care of before move-in day.
We also know many teens are preparing for LDS missions and may need out-of-country vaccines or vaccine information before they leave. We can help with that too. We don't provide them here, but we will give you information on where to go!!

If you have questions about vaccine records, eligibility, cost, or what vaccines you or your child may need, give us a call or stop by.

We’re here for more than people realize, and we’re excited to start sharing more with the community again. ❤️

04/22/2026

Food Safety Reminder During a Power Outage

If your power goes out, try to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

Refrigerator: Food stays safe for about 4 hours if the door stays closed.

Full freezer: Food stays safe for 48 hours
Half-full freezer: Food stays safe for 24 hours

After 4 hours without power, it’s safest to throw out:• Meat• Eggs• Milk• Leftovers• Cut fruits and vegetables

When in doubt, throw it out — don’t taste food to test it.

CDC guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/keep-food-safe-after-emergency.html

04/21/2026

Update: Potential Power Outages in the San Luis Valley (April 22)

Xcel Energy has provided an update regarding the possible Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) scheduled for Wednesday, April 22.

What’s changed:
• The scope of the PSPS has been reduced
• Affected areas are now limited to parts of Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande counties
• The City of Alamosa is NOT included
• Approximately 7,000 customers may be impacted

Timing:
• Estimated power shutoff: between 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
• Re-energization is expected to begin around 7:00 PM, but restoration may take several hours and could continue into the night

Additional crews are being staged in Alamosa and will patrol lines during the outage. Xcel Energy is also working with local emergency managers to prioritize critical facilities such as healthcare services.

Please remember: This is still not official messaging, but a courtesy update to help residents prepare.

What you should do:
• Check Xcel Energy’s outage map for your area (affected locations will be shown inside the dotted lines)
• Ensure your contact information is up to date with Xcel
• Prepare for the possibility of being without power

As always, please call emergency services only for life-threatening situations to keep lines open for those in urgent need.

We will continue to share updates as they become available.

04/20/2026

With the planned power outage scheduled for Wednesday 4/22 please plan ahead for several hours without electricity so the day goes as smoothly as possible especially for households that rely on electricity for daily needs.

A few important things to check before Wednesday:

• Charge phones, power banks, and backup battery packs
• Make sure any medical devices that require electricity are fully charged or have a backup plan
• Keep medications organized and monitor refrigerated medications if needed
• Have flashlights, lanterns, and extra batteries ready
• Keep matches or lighters available if you use a gas stove or other approved heat source
• Set aside bottled water and easy-to-prepare food
• Have a manual can opener available
• Keep blankets or extra layers handy if temperatures change
• Make sure vehicles have fuel if chargers or pumps are unavailable during the outage
• Know how to manually open garage doors or electric gates

If you have livestock or animals, plan ahead for water and any electric equipment you may need.

A little preparation now can help avoid unnecessary stress during the outage.

Xcel Energy outage reporting:
Residential: 800-895-1999
Business: 800-481-4700