Latest news with #AlliHowe
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Measles exposure location found in Grand Junction
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced one of the state's confirmed measles cases passed through Grand Junction. On Tuesday, May 27, an adult from El Paso County who tested positive for measles passed through the Love's Travel Stop and Carl's Jr at 748 22 Road. Alli Howe, chief health strategist for Mesa County Public Health, says symptoms can take up to three weeks to develop. 'The initial symptoms of measles are going to start with cough and fever. After about three to five days of active symptoms, that's when you're going to start to see some of that more visible rash that people associate with measles virus,' she says. Howe says anyone who was exposed and showing symptoms should reach out to public health at 970-254-4120. 'We would like folks who were at Love's Travel Stop and Carl's Jr on 22nd Road in Grand Junction on Tuesday, May 27, between the hours of 6 and 10 p.m. to contact our disease surveillance team. If they were there from those times and they have any of those symptoms, we'd like to hear from you because we want to make sure if you were exposed that you get the best care possible.' Howe tells WesternSlopeNow there's not a major concern about a measles outbreak in Mesa County. 'What's great about local public health is we always have these systems in place for if and when something happens with one of these highly infectious diseases… we have ongoing relationships with our school districts and our hospitals, places where there are a lot of people convening together, such as public schools, for if we do have a cluster of more cases. But to date, this potential exposure is the only one we have in Mesa County,' Howe says. Howe encourages those who are able to get the MMR vaccine if they haven't already. You can do so at the Mesa County Public Health Clinic as well as many primary care facilities and pharmacies. 'I think we're safe as long as we keep doing what we're really good at in Mesa County, taking care of each other and doing that preventative work,' Howe said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mesa County Public Health opts in to low-cost prescription drug program
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Mesa County Public Health held a special meeting Thursday morning to vote on their participation in the 340B drug pricing program. The 340B program makes it more affordable for places like Mesa County Public Health to get the prescription drugs that keep people healthy, and when they can keep prices low, they pass that along to the patients. Frankly, without the program, Mesa County Public Health wouldn't be here. 'It allows entities to have a discount on outpatient like prescription drugs,' said Alli Howe, the chief health strategist at Mesa County Public Health. 'And what's really important for the public to know about this bill is for rural areas like Mesa County, it just helps us keep our doors open.' Mesa County Public Health's Clinical Director Allison Sanchez broke down how it works. 'A medication under a 340B price could cost us less than a dollar, where at a regular private price it could cost us $4000. So there's a significant difference in that… it allows us not just to serve the patients, but we also have staff here that can provide the services to those patients as well… our main purpose is to help people who need help. And without discounts like this, we can't do that.' The meeting lasted just about 5 minutes, and ended with a unanimous 4-0 vote in favor of staying on the plan. Nobody on Mesa County Public Health's board opposed it. Xavier Crockett, who serves as the executive director of Mesa County Public Health advocated for the bill, and will talk in front of the Colorado Senate on Thursday afternoon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
