A Dolores County nurse, who served as the director of Dolores County Public Health for nearly 20 years, was selected for the 2022 Regional Sure Shot Award by Immunize Colorado.
Mary Randolph, RN, was honored for her efforts to increase vaccination rates in Dolores County. She was nominated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on behalf of Charlotte Liming, the administrative assistant and WIC educator at Dolores Public health. She and Randolph are also close friends.
“Throughout her career, Mary has built strong, sustaining relationships with schools, day care centers and senior centers to educate the public and promote the importance of immunizations throughout a person’s life,” Liming said in her statement nominating Randolph.
“During her tenure at Dolores County Health Department, she has single-handedly coordinated numerous vaccination clinics, and has had countless conversations with vaccine-hesitant and vaccine-resistant patients,” Liming continued. “She is an adept listener and answers each patient’s questions and concerns with compassion and respect. She has been dedicated to continuously educating the community on the importance of immunization and health.”
Awards are given biennially by Immunize Colorado and are given to Colorado’s “top immunization champions,” who demonstrate leadership, teamwork and advocacy in the realm of vaccination and immunization.
“I feel so honored and humbled to receive this award,” Randolph said. “I want to thank Immunize Colorado for their recognition and Charlotte for nominating me; she is so instrumental to the immunization program, and after working together for 20 years it seems like we’re almost family.”
Randolph was raised in Southwest Colorado on a ranch and was first exposed to immunization by helping vaccinate more than 300 cows a year as a child.
She graduated nursing school in 1997 and worked as a nurse in obstetrics and gynecology at Southwest Memorial Hospital before being hired as the director of Dolores County Public Health in 2002.
There, she ran all the agency’s public health programs and initiatives, including vital records, immunization, WIC, emergency preparedness, communicable disease, tobacco, environmental health and more.
Randolph also helped maintain vaccination rates in Dolores County.
She retired from public health in June 2022 after nearly 20 years of service. She hopes to spend more quality time with her grandchildren while continuing her work as a professional photographer now that she is retired.
The award will be presented to Randolph at Immunize Colorado’s SOUP! (Shots Offer Unrivaled Protection), the 2022 Denver Metro Sure Shot event Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Space Gallery in downtown Denver.
The event will feature live music, soup tasting, lawn games and more for award recipients, their families and other attendees.
Other award recipients are 2022 Denver Metro Sure Shot Servicios de la Raza, 2022 SOUPer Hero Jennifer Reich, Ph.D. and 2022 Big Shot of the Year Julissa Soto.
Immunize Colorado, formerly called Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, is a nonprofit that works to protect schools, families and communities from diseases that can be prevented through vaccinations.
