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Jefferson County says farewell to a valued asset
On 12/29/2006

Contributed by: Kodi Bryant on 12/27/2006

The year is 1974; the Jefferson County Health Department's immunization clinic at 260 South Kipling Street in Lakewood is a busy place. There are children, infants, moms, dads and grandparents checking in for one vaccination or another. The scene is familiar to the one immunization nurse running the clinic, Barbara Mertens. Barb remains calm, friendly and an expert at the job ahead. She takes time to console, engage, listen and otherwise be there for each of the families and individuals to whom she administers a vaccination. She is happy to be working to protect as many people as she can from life threatening diseases.

Fast forward to the present, 2006; the immunization clinic is as busy as ever with families and children lining up for their shots, families that need calling back with disease prevention information and a possible outbreak of shigella in a daycare facility. Barb Mertens is there, she is handling phone calls, drafting a letter for the daycare parents, giving shots, checking records, talking with parents, assuring parents and . . . staying calm, an expert at the job ahead.

On December 29, 2006 Barb Mertens, immunization nurse, colleague, friend and dedicated public health worker will hang her white lab coat on the door of her office at the Department of Health and Environment for the last time in 32 years. Dr. Mark Johnson, JCDHE Executive Director said, "Barb has been a stellar professional, who through her work as a communicable disease nurse has done so much to protect the children and families of Jefferson County. Her absence will be felt by all. She has been a dedicated and trusted employee and colleague, and all of us at the department and in Jefferson County wish her only the best in her retirement."

Through her many years as an immunization clinic nurse and as the coordinator of the department's Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program, Barb's knowledge of communicable diseases, immunization, and public health is extensive and her accomplishments impressive.
The following are just some of her many contributions to public health in Jefferson County:

* Vaccinating thousands and thousands of children and adults to protect them from life threatening diseases
* Conducting flu shot clinics, TB skin testing, and hepatitis B clinics for the community
* Extensive surveying and follow-up on thousands and thousands of reportable communicable diseases and implementing necessary prevention education and control measures.
* Creating numerous educational programs and materials for staff and outside groups on communicable disease control and immunization.
* Reviewing hundreds of thousands of immunization record reviews for schools, child care establishments and individuals.
* Serving on numerous committees and task forces which most recently included the JCDHE Incident Command Team, the CDPHE Task Force to improve immunization rates in schools, and the advisory board of the Concorde Career Institute.
* Developing trainings on vaccine and injection techniques for public health nurses
Providing valuable and expert consultation for school nurses, infection control nurses, child care providers, Environmental Health specialists, and private provider office staff.

Awards and Commendations:
Having received too many to list, here are few milestones along Ms. Mertens illustrious career...
* 1983 Commended for initiating the establishment of an agency epidemiology team to assure effective collaboration between the Nursing and Environmental Health Divisions.
* 1990 Awarded for her efficient management of a measles outbreak
* 1992 Commended for initiating a screening and follow-up plan for all employees with needle stick injuries.
* 1996 Commended for discovering the source of an outbreak of metro area salmonella cases in metro area children. The contact source was the petting exhibit of Komodo Dragons at the Denver Zoo.
* 2004 Employee of the month award for outstanding service and effective leadership and collaboration for managing emerging and record high infectious diseases.
* Ongoing Her excellence as a teacher has earned her continued recognition for educating the agency, R-1 school district staff, and other related community members on topics of concern such as rash illnesses in children, new vaccines, and control measures for communicable diseases.

Thank you Barb for your 32 years of service to the Jefferson County community.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Kodi Bryant

Lakewood , CO

Kodi Bryant has posted 165 stories and 1 comment since joining on 9/7/2006. Kodi Bryant 's average story rating is 4.95.
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