Dr. Jennifer Harbert, M.D.

CREEDE- Rio Grande Hospital’s (RGH) providers and staff are going above and beyond to ensure the safety of all of their patients during the COVID-19 crisis. After hearing some patients are so concerned about COVID-19 they are not coming for regular visits, RGH wants the community to know the importance of receiving regular care for chronic conditions and annual wellness exams, and the many ways RGH and their skilled providers are taking extra precautions to ensure safety while providing the personalized and comprehensive quality of care patients have come to expect from RGH.

Dr. Jennifer Harbert, M.D., Elisa Mullikin, PA-C and the entire Creede Family Practice staff want RGH patients to know they are taking all possible precautions to keep patients and the community safe in the face of COVID-19. The external door to the clinic has clear signs to minimize hands making contact with the door at all and the internal door to the clinic is locked, patients are screened outside with questions about potential symptoms and a temperature check and a limited number of patients are permitted in the waiting/reception areas as well. Creede Family Practice staff members are also taking similar steps to ensure extraordinary hygiene and surface sanitizing practices are being followed. Harbert stated the staff also have their temperatures taken daily as well and pointed out the rooms are cleaned with a disinfectant approved to kill COVID-19 after each patient.

Mullikin also added no patients who are displaying symptoms are allowed in the building, only patients themselves are allowed in exam rooms and all COVID-19 testing is provided through Silver Thread Public Health or at the RGH Emergency Department in Del Norte. The staff is also wearing masks and practicing social distancing as much as their space allows. They have not seen any symptomatic patients in the clinic and have only recommended a few to be screened at the ER. Harbert noted although the outbreak in Mineral County was only nine people that is concentrated for their area and they take the whole process seriously, but she wants patients to know concerns about COVID-19 should not outweigh treatment for other conditions or regular care, “You can feel confident in your safety in coming here.”

Harbert and Mullikin see patients for a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, heart disease, COPD, baby visits, preventative care, colds and other seasonal ailments and to treat new issues like abdominal pain, sore throats and more. “People really most like that we know our patients, we know them by name, we have a history,” Harbert stated. “We make this a friendly place to enter and we have a great, friendly staff.” Harbert added she also doesn’t typically use a computer in the exam room, taking notes and documentation after the appointment.

Mullikin added they strive to be as accommodating as possible to individual patients’ preferences, although she does often use a computer with patients for educational purposes, “It helps establish an understanding and helps with explanations [about conditions].”

Harbert wants patients to know about the great overall quality of care they can expect with all RGH facilities. The hospital can provide x-rays, labs, CT scans, MRIs and specialists for a variety of conditions. The clinic staff also works closely with the local EMT service and the Silver Thread Public Health District, who share a building with the clinic. Harbert, who also serves on the Creede School Board, stated she is confident in Silver Thread’s ability to work closely with the schools and other important community institutions to keep track of changes and community needs.

Both Harbert and Mullikin also stay on top of weekly medical journals for the latest information on COVID-19 and both are required to get 50 hours annually of continuing education on a variety of family medicine topics. “I find that requirement really reassuring” Harbert added, stating she enjoys learning new things about the conditions she sees often.

Harbert is originally from Connecticut but has lived in Creede for about 20 years. She worked in the clinic for 10 years then practiced in the RGH ER for eight years, then practiced for about two years doing inpatient treatment at the hospital, but she missed the family practice atmosphere and the relationships built that way with patients and returned to the clinic. Her family has been visiting Creede since she was seven, and she decided she would practice and live in Creede between college and medical school. She has a husband and two sons, and her parents also live half the year in Creede and the winter half in Tucson, Arizona.

Mullikin is a Colorado native who grew up in Mancos, she stated she has always understood and enjoyed the small town atmosphere. She received her undergrad from Western State College in Gunnison and did a research study at Spine Colorado in Durango, before getting her PA degree in Pennsylvania. She worked in primary care in Alamosa before moving to Creede in April. She enjoys outdoor recreation and visiting her parents in Mancos. She also has a brother who is a military doctor in Hawaii, which she said isn’t quite as nice as it sounds.

Creede Family Practice can be reached at (719)658-0929. If you are still unsure about visiting a provider in person, RGH also offers telemedicine, call (719)657-2418 for more information. For a complete list of RGH’s services and providers, see www.riograndehospital.org