Grand Co. mothers must travel for care

GRANBY - In an effort to hide from an estranged husband, Sylvia Tellez, 24, moved to Grand County from California with her young son.

In Granby, she took refuge at her sister's. Then life took an unexpected turn. Tellez met someone, then confirmed she was pregnant during a visit to the Grand County Public Health and Nursing Services office in Hot Sulphur Springs. She also found out that her new someone wasn't ready to take on the responsibility of a baby.

"I was sad, scared. I was afraid to tell anybody," she said. But Tellez soon learned she would not have to go through her pregnancy on her own. Prenatal nurse Ellen Stone would be there for her, from counseling to by her side during the delivery - a service that in Tellez's situation became invaluable.

In Grand County in situations like Tellez's, people such as Stone and volunteers at the Pregnancy Resource Connection often become beacons of support as they break surprising news to expectant local mothers and newcomers to the area.

"You should see people's eyes when I tell them, 'You're not having a baby in Grand County - not unless it's an accident,'" Stone said.

It's an inconvenient truth that forces mothers to decide between the least harrowing of routes when planning their prenatal care and delivery. Grand County is an isolated island lacking in women's health with no easy way out, particularly in the winter. Even with all the planning, there is still an occasional baby born at home or on the way to the hospital, or at a Grand County hospital not equipped for neonatal intensive care.

In a 2005 survey to assess health care needs and issues in Grand County, conducted by The National Association of Counties and the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, in conjunction with the Grand County Rural Health Network (GCRHN), the question was posed: "What additional health care services do you feel are needed in Grand County?"

The response cited most frequently was "specialty services," according to the Rural Health Network, followed closely by "OB-GYN services."

"The majority of persons interviewed indicated that they currently utilize OB-GYN providers in the Denver area," said Dorri Penny, executive director of GCRHN.

'My biggest concern'