Krissie Harman

My family lives in Meeker, CO and so I called Pioneers Medical Center to ask about the top five public health trends going on in this small rural town.  I was able to speak to Dr. Krueger, a family practice doctor, at this small hospital who said the five top health trends are:

1)      Birth Control for Meeker High School students, Dr. Krueger related a story about how many students are coming to the health clinic to get birth control without parental consent.  Colorado law states that parental consent is not required. Many parents are very unhappy when they find their children have been getting such medication from the clinic without their consent.  The parents not truly understanding the law are causing a ruckus for the clinic’s care of its patients.  While this isn’t a huge problem, I’ve heard from several students that some parents are refusing to take their children to the clinic now in protest of the birth control issue.

2)      MHS Varsity sports teams have had a severe increase in concussions. Since MHS is a very small school, it should probably have practically no concussions a year and this year alone they’ve had 11.  Dr. Krueger stressed the significance of this problem.  He and Dr. Williams put together a presentation particularly for varsity athletes and their parents.  The Athletic Director complied with their request to make attendance a requirement and they were able to raise awareness to the severity of head injuries.

3)      The elderly in the Walbridge Wing, an Elderly home attached to Pioneers Medical Center, have recently had a bout of the flu run through its halls.  While none were in severe danger, many residents were confined to bed for several days.  They believe the sickness to be traced to a young nurse (C.N.A.). She came to work, despite being ill.  While no action was needed, the residents weren’t very happy and have now been requesting other nurses for help.

4)      The Food Bank of the Rockies has been a huge success the past couple of months.  Once a month, the organizers come and give out food to those who come.  Many families are enjoying this gift. This success has helped the word get out more and they’re expecting for growth to continue.  Many high school students have been volunteering at this event and Dr. Krueger was a firm advocate of this organization’s endeavor.

5)      Under-age alcohol use has been a consistent concern for the town of Meeker.  This past year three graduates of MHS got into a horrific car accident.  The driver has under the influence. One died from the crash and the Student Council decided to put on an Every Fifteen Minutes program to remind the students of the atrocity of drunk driving.  Dr. Krueger was able to star in the mock E.R. visit and said the soberness of telling parents of the death of their child is something one never gets used to.