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1. How will the public health services be managed after the dissolution?

Both Archuleta and La Plata counties are in the process of establishing individual public health departments to serve their respective communities. These new county public health departments will begin operations on January 1, 2024.

2. I currently participate in a SJBPH program or service. Who can I contact about specific details about my program?

Please reach out to your current SJBPH contact for more detailed information about how the transition to a county health department will impact a specific program or service. Check back for updates on the SJBPH website and refer to the specific county websites:

Archuleta County

La Plata County

3. Will San Juan Basin Public Health continue to provide services until the dissolution?

Yes, San Juan Basin Public Health will continue to serve both counties through the end of 2023.

4. How will the dissolution affect residents in terms of accessing public health services?

San Juan Basin Public Health will continue to serve both counties through the end of 2023. During this transition period, both counties will be setting up their individual health departments. For more details on the counties’ plans, please visit their websites. 

Archuleta County updates

La Plata County updates

5. Will the new public health departments provide the same services in each county?

For more details on the counties’ plans, please visit their websites:

Archuleta County updates

La Plata County updates

The services offered by each new health department may vary based on the specific needs of each county. While the intention is to provide many of the same core public health services, there could be differences based on county-specific priorities and resources. It's essential for residents to refer to their respective county's public health department website for detailed information on offered services.

6. How will the dissolution affect the use of the SJBPH water laboratory for sample delivery, receipt, and processing?

San Juan Basin Public Health's Water Laboratory will continue to provide water testing for residents of Southwest Colorado under La Plata County’s Public Health Department. Water bacteriology testing determines the absence or presence of Total Coliform and E.coli bacteria. The Water Laboratory also provides wastewater testing for public wastewater systems.

7. How can residents stay informed about ongoing changes and decisions?

Residents can stay informed by regularly visiting their respective county’s website, as updates regarding the transition process will be provided throughout 2023. Residents may also find it useful to listen in to each county’s transitional board of health meetings. Information about those meetings can be found on each county’s website: 

Archuleta County

La Plata County

8. Where will the La Plata County Public Health Department be located?

Ownership of the current San Juan Basin Public Health Department building, located at 281 Sawyer Drive in Durango, will be transferred to La Plata County for use as their public health department building.

9. Where will the Archuleta County Public Health Department be located?

Ownership of the current San Juan Basin Public Health Department building, located at 502 South 8^th Street in Pagosa Springs, will be transferred to Archuleta County for use as their public health department building.

10. I have a restaurant, grocery store, or other retail food establishment. How do I renew my license for 2024?

Retail food license renewals have been delayed until January 2024. Each successor county will issue license renewals once they have assumed responsibility for providing services. Keep an eye on your mailbox and business email for more information. Please contact SJBPH if you have any questions before December 31, 2023. 

La Plata County Public Health Department - PublicHealth@lpcgov.org, 970-264-8441

Archuleta County Public Health Department - adminACPHD@archuletacounty.org, 970-382-6143

11. I have a restaurant, grocery store, or other retail food establishment. How does the SJBPH dissolution affect my inspections?

SJBPH will continue to provide retail food establishments with their routine inspections, licensing, and complaint investigations until December 28, 2023. Beginning in January 2024, the new, county health departments will begin providing these services.  

La Plata County Public Health Department - PublicHealth@lpcgov.org, 970-264-8441

Archuleta County Public Health Department - adminACPHD@archuletacounty.org, 970-382-6143

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1. What is a Public Health Emergency (PHE)?

The PHE was declared by the federal government in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Medicaid, the PHE established a continuous coverage requirement. This means that people who receive Medicaid were not required to renew their eligibility, as required in the past to maintain coverage.

2. When will the PHE expire, and how will this affect Medicaid participants in Southwest Colorado?

The federal government has yet to set a deadline for the public health emergency to end. When the PHE ends, Colorado Medicaid will be required to renew each member’s eligibility prior to taking any action on a case.

3. How does this affect me?

The most important thing you can do is ensure that all of your information is current. This is the best way to ensure that you receive essential and time-sensitive information from the State.

4. How do I make changes to my Medicaid information?

Access your Colorado Medicaid account online or let SJBPH's Health Insurance Literacy Program help. Call us today at 970-335-2028.

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1. Do you want to start taking PrEP?

HIV testing should be conducted before starting PrEP. SJBPH's Sexual Health Clinic offers low-cost STI/STD testing including for HIV.

We're here to to help, not judge, and we can discuss your situation with you to determine if PrEP is right for you.

2. Who can benefit from PrEP?

PrEP is a treatment for people who don't have HIV but are at a higher risk of contracting it. You should consult SJBPH, or your medical provider, about PrEP if you:

• Don't regularly use condoms.
• Have an HIV-positive sexual partner.
• Have a sexual partner who is at high risk of contracting HIV (for example, if they engage in anal or vaginal sex with other people without using condoms, or if they use injectable drugs).
• If you don't use condoms regularly and have anal or vaginal sex with multiple partners.
• If you contracted another STD (like chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis).
• Perform sex work involving vaginal or anal sex.
• Have you used drugs, shared needles, or been in drug treatment in the last six months?
• If you're at high risk for HIV and are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding, PrEP could help you and your baby avoid contracting the virus.

3. How much does PrEP cost?

PrEP is covered by most health insurance plans, including Medicaid. You can also get help paying for PrEP if you don't have health insurance or if your insurance doesn't cover PrEP.

SJBPH can help you enroll in PHIP which will cover your PrEP-related appointments, lab tests, and make you eligible for free medications. Call us at 970-335-2013 for help enrolling in PHIP.

4. How do I get PrEP?

SJBPH's Sexual Health Clinic, as well as your local doctors' office, offers PrEP. Call us at 970-335-2013 or email for an appointment.

To determine if PrEP is right for you, SJBPH's medical providers will ask you questions about your sexuality, the protection you use, and your medical history. They'll also test you for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other sexually transmitted diseases, and check your kidneys to make sure they're in good working order.

5. What else should I know about PrEP?

• It can take 7 to 20 days from when you take your first pill until it's most effective.
• PrEP must be taken before you come into contact with the virus in order to protect you. PrEP isn't an HIV cure.
• PrEP is not a pill that has to be taken indefinitely. You have complete control over when you begin and stop taking PrEP. Just keep in mind that if you don't take it on a regular basis, you won't be as safe.
• Once you've started taking PrEP, you'll need to visit your doctor or nurse every three months to get tested for HIV. They'll discuss any side effects or symptoms you're experiencing with you. They may also check for other STDs and make sure your kidneys are in good working order. You might also get a pregnancy test if pregnancy is a possibility for you.
• It's critical to take PrEP on a daily basis. If you skip pills, PrEP won't work as well. If you don't take it every day, your body may not have enough medicine to keep HIV at bay.
• Other sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, are not prevented by PrEP. So, in addition to PrEP, use condoms to help you avoid other STDs and provide additional HIV protection.

6. What are the risks of taking PrEP?

PrEP is extremely safe. People who take PrEP have reported no serious side effects.

Nausea, loss of appetite, and headaches are all possible side effects of PrEP. These side effects aren't harmful, and they usually improve over time as your body adjusts to PrEP. The majority of PrEP users experience no negative side effects.

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1. Need to submit paperwork to the OWTS team?

• (Preferred) Open the form in Adobe Acrobat, fill out the form and sign it digitally using the Acrobat "Fill and Sign" tool. Save a PDF copy and submit via email the name of the form and address of the property in the subject line.
• Print the form, fill it out by hand, then scan your completed and signed form, and email the scanned PDF file with the name of the form and the address of the property in the subject line.
• Submit the completed, signed form in person at either of our office locations:
  • 281 Sawyer Drive, Ste 300
    Durango, CO 81303 
  • 502 South 8th Street
    Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
• Mail or ship the completed, signed form to:
  San Juan Basin Public Health
  ATTN: Environmental Health
  281 Sawyer Drive, Ste 300
  Durango CO 81303

2. Need to make payment for OWTS services?

• (Preferred) Pay online with credit card or e-check. Select Onsite Wastewater in the Payment for field, write the name of the form in the Description field, and write the address of the property in the Invoice Number/Customer Name field.
• Pay in person with check, credit card or cash at either of our office locations:
  • 281 Sawyer Drive
    Durango, CO 81303 
  • 502 South 8th Street
    Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
• Write the name of the form and property address on the memo line and mail or ship a check to:
  San Juan Basin Public Health
  ATTN: Environmental Health
  281 Sawyer Drive
  Durango CO 81303