'I'm Embarrassed For Colorado,' Hospital CEO In Rep. Lauren Boebert's District Tells CNN
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (CNN/CBS4) -- In northwestern Colorado, the vaccination rate is low and the COVID-19 infection rate is high. The area is represented by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who tweeted Thursday, "Leave the mask, wear a smile." CNN's Gary Tuchman visited Moffat County to ask medical experts in the hot zone how they feel about their representative's advice.
Memorial Regional Health in Craig had to reopen its COVID unit after a new surge in cases.
Andy Daniels, the hospital's chief executive officer, describes himself as a "super conservative individual."
"How does it make you feel the way Rep. Boebert has treated this pandemic?" Tuchman asked.
"I'm embarrassed for Colorado, quite frankly," Daniels answered. "I'm embarrassed that she is my representative."
Boebert has been very public about declining to wear a mask at the Capitol.
Next time someone offers you a mask. pic.twitter.com/kiOwr2z9Q4
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) July 28, 2021
"Mask mandates are even dumber now than they were the first time around," Boebert tweeted Wednesday. "The CDC has lost all credibility."
"I think if you're going to take a stance on health care policy, you might actually want to learn something about health care policy," Daniels told Tuchman.
Dr. Matthew Grzegozewski, is the chief medical officer in the hospital's emergency department.
"She comes from a position of power, being our elected official, and I think that people are listening to what she's saying, and a lot of what she's putting out there is ideology that isn't fact, isn't medically sound," Grzegozewski said.
The chief medical officer and the CEO would both like a chance to speak to Boebert about what's going on in their county and the message she's sending.
"It's putting a lot of people in danger and it's, quite honestly, costing people lives and it's, it's frustrating to have to fight against that," Grzegozewski said.
Boebert declined to speak to Tuchman for this report.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)