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Let’s go live:’ Eagle County’s COVID-19 collaboration team reflects on the yearlong battle

This article was written by Pam Boyd and first appeared in the Vail Daily on May 20, 2021.

During the final COVID-19 Community Conversation on Thursday, the seven-member panel used the time as an exercise in reflection rather than a focus on information. Chris Lindley, chief population Health Officer for Vail Health, said COVID-19 freed organizations to quickly respond to developing conditions. He noted his biggest worry is that post-COVID-19, local entities will stop pursuing timely, 75% responses while they hold out for 100% solutions. Nimble actions may mean early mistakes, but they also give organizations the opportunity to learn and move forward, Lindley said. Lindley noted that the MIRA bus and other community groups were instrumental in the effort to spread the word within the Spanish-speaking communities and provide services to those groups. COVID-19 also brough some equity gains in other areas, as Vail Health launched Olivia’s Fund, which offers free behavioral health counseling services, months earlier than initially planned.

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