UNHS Hooves & Hands Mobile Rural Health

10/30/2026

Contact your chapter (Aneth/Oljato/Mexican Water/Red Mesa) for more information!

LIVESTOCK RELIEF: Hay Deliveries Headed to Local Chapters
​In response to the severe flooding affecting local ranchers, farmers, and livestock owners, Utah Navajo Health System has partnered with Navajo Highways to distribute hundreds of bales of three-string hay across our regional communities.
​Hay is being delivered directly to the following chapters:

• Aneth Chapter
• Red Mesa Chapter
• Mexican Water Chapter
• Oljato Chapter

​Community members and livestock owners can pick up hay through their respective chapter houses by tomorrow evening.

​Our livestock are vital to our families and way of life. A huge thank you to the Navajo Highways team for this generous donation and partnership to support our communities through flood recovery.

​Please contact your local chapter house directly for specific distribution hours and pickup guidelines.

10/26/2026

Heads up everyone, the Montezuma Creek Clinic will be closed tomorrow (Monday).

🚨 CLINIC CLOSURE & FLOOD UPDATE: Montezuma Creek Clinic Closed Monday, Oct. 26
Due to severe flooding and unsafe road conditions along the San Juan River near Aneth, Montezuma Creek, and Bluff, the Montezuma Creek Clinic will be CLOSED on Monday, October 26.

Notes:
-All Monday appointments at Montezuma Creek will be rescheduled. Tuesday appointments remain as scheduled for now. We will assess conditions and post an update regarding Tuesday operations as soon as possible.

- All other UNHS clinic sites, including Monument Valley and Navajo Mountain, will remain open normal hours.

- The UNHS ambulance shed in Montezuma Creek is open for in-person information.
Community Shelters & Resources:
- Aneth Community School
- San Juan High School (Blanding)
(Both shelters have food and care packages available for impacted families.)
A heartfelt thank you to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Navajo Nation Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol, Navajo Nation DEM, American Red Cross, local chapter leaders, volunteers, and our dedicated UNHS staff who have worked tirelessly all weekend.
Please stay safe, avoid flooded roadways, and follow all instructions from emergency personnel. For immediate emergencies, call 911.

10/23/2026

Looking for one simple thing to help you lose weight, manage/prevent many chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, improve mood, boost energy, and help you get a good night's sleep? For fun? For free?

These are only some of the benefits of regular physical activity! Come to a free workshop next week in Monument Valley or Blanding with Dr. Reale and UNHS chiropractor Dr. Sarah Workman to learn more about these benefits and how YOU can get started today!

Did we mention FREE FOOD, FREE GROCERY GIFT CARDS, FREE RESISTANCE BANDS, and A CHANCE TO WIN A SHOPPING SPREE AT DICK'S SPORTING GOODS??? See you there!

10/22/2026

Just a reminder that we’ve got a large animal vaccine clinic this Saturday from 11am to 2pm at the Bluff Community Center.
Bring your hooved animals and get them up to date on their rabies and other recommended vaccines.
$10 dollars per animal. Proceeds go to the American Lung Association in honor of Dr. Chitralekha Edwin. Thank you!

We’ve still got donated vaccines so it’s time for another hooved animal vaccine clinic - October 24 from 11AM-2PM!

This time, all proceeds will go to the American Lung Association in honor of our sister Ramona Weber’s late mom, Dr. Chitralekha Edwin. We devastatingly lost Chitralekha a year ago this week from a genetic form of lung cancer. This clinic gives us the opportunity to help fund research in her honor (she was, herself, a scientific researcher), and for all those in our area who also suffer from lung disease. Thank you for participating in a cause that means an awful lot, while getting your hooved critters vaccinated. See you there!

10/13/2026

We’ve still got donated vaccines so it’s time for another hooved animal vaccine clinic - October 24 from 11AM-2PM!

This time, all proceeds will go to the American Lung Association in honor of our sister Ramona Weber’s late mom, Dr. Chitralekha Edwin. We devastatingly lost Chitralekha a year ago this week from a genetic form of lung cancer. This clinic gives us the opportunity to help fund research in her honor (she was, herself, a scientific researcher), and for all those in our area who also suffer from lung disease. Thank you for participating in a cause that means an awful lot, while getting your hooved critters vaccinated. See you there!

10/02/2026

We’re a little behind as we’ve been in a fall frenzy with appointments. World Rabies Day was September 28 and we didn’t want to miss the chance to highlight this very important, very deadly disease!

THERE ARE NO MAYBES WITH RABIES: Rabies is 100% fatal if contracted - for you, for your horse, for your cow, for your sheep.

In Utah, the most likely carrier of rabies is bats. If you or a family member is bitten by a bat or in close proximity to a bat and unsure if you were bitten (like you wake up and find a bat in your bedroom), you MUST contact your healthcare provider ASAP. Bat bites are very small!

The rabies vaccine is very effective for horses, sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats. If you have pet hooved animals or public-facing animals (like trail ride horses or petting zoo animals), consider the rabies vaccine for them.

Signs of rabies can include walking funny, acting weird, not eating, and the infamous drooling/frothing at the mouth. If you’re suspicious, don’t hesitate to call your vet with questions/concerns.

Several helpful links:
Rabies Fact Sheet -https://epi.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/rabies_factsheet.pdf
Rabies FAQ -https://epi.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Rabies.pdf
Low-cost rabies pet vaccinations https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p03AGLLPabI-Pemnn-0RjcVl-Tjud6hwOqyKZQyPXAA/edit =0
What should I do if I’ve been bitten? https://pubredcap.health.utah.gov/surveys/?s=M99MKTNXKC3JRRKH

**We charge $12 a head for the rabies vaccine for hooved animals and will be hosting another discounted vaccine clinic in a few weeks (more info to come). In the meantime, Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer can be reached at 435-320-0277 for hooved animal questions and Dr. Stephen Reale can be reached at 435-320-0511 for human medical questions.**

09/23/2026

09/16/2026

Isn't there a way to treat my medical condition without medication? This is one of the most popular questions I get asked and the answer for many medical conditions is absolutely!

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses science-backed changes to how you live your life to treat and in some cases reverse chronic disease like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and more! With these changes many people can reduce their medications and some people can stop altogether.

Many of you know that this topic is one of my favorite and we are so excited to announce that UNHS is offering a series of FREE lifestyle medicine group visits in both Monument Valley and Blanding, each one focused on how you can use one of the main pillars of lifestyle medicine to get healthier with less medication (and free food and prizes!). Details are in the attached posters but we will be at all of them with some AMAZING guests, all for you! Let us know if you have any questions and hope to see you there!

09/08/2026

We were invited to and will be joining Equine RezQ and ESE at the Aneth Rodeo Grounds on Sunday September 20 from 9-4pm to support a lower cost horse clinic - services include castrations, vaccines, coggins, dental floats, and farriery. Please call/text 928-225-8780 to schedule appointments (appointments required for procedures). This is a great opportunity to get your horses ready for rodeo season!

Pic of our last castration postop - with a little sedation, your horse can look like this too :) (posted with owner approval).

See you there!

09/02/2026

Hi everyone, after focusing on West Nile Virus and its very effective vaccine last time, we want to reiterate the importance of vaccinating your horses in general.

The American Association of Equine Professionals (AAEP) recommends vaccinating all equids (donkeys, mules, and minis too!) for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Tetanus (aka the 4-way shot), and Rabies (a separate shot).

Now…if you’re taking any of your horses on adventures aka to rodeos (looking at you, Window Rock next weekend! 😉), we definitely recommend the equine Herpesvirus (Rhino) and Influenza virus vaccine as well. These are all recommended annually and you need a 1 month booster for animals that have never been vaccinated before.

We do still have some vaccines available through a grant from the Foundation for the Horse making the total cost for complete vaccination just $30 in Bluff or $70 at your place. We’re down to about 25 doses so if you’re interested, call sooner rather than later! Don’t ever hesitate to call Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer (regular hours M-F 9-5) with any questions or concerns, 435-320-0277.

PS - We also do health certificates and Coggins testing for travel if you're headed to Window Rock or any other rodeos!

https://thehorse.com/110954/infographic-vaccinating-your-horse/