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Archive for the ‘University of Colorado Health’ Category

Historic Cancer Research Effort Coming Soon: Northern Colorado Residents Asked To Volunteer

Posted in Cancer, Community, Health, Poudre Valley Cancer Network, Uncategorized, University of Colorado Health, tagged , , , on May 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Northern Colorado residents can participate in a historic study June 25, 27 and 29 that may help change the face of cancer. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3).

CPS-3 will enroll a up to half a million people across the United States and Puerto Rico and will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

Those who wish to participate can enroll in the study at one of three University of Colorado Health locations:

  • Medical Center of the Rockies – Long’s Peak room, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland, Colo. 80538 Tuesday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Poudre Valley Hospital – Café F, 1024 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins, Colo. 80524
    Thursday, June 27 from 3 to 7 p.m.
  • Poudre Valley Hospital Harmony Campus, Building A – Harmony Café, 2121 E. Harmony Rd., Fort Collins, Colo. 80528
    Saturday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Additional enrollment locations are also available in Greeley, Loveland and Windsor. Appointments are required.

To make an appointment or for a complete list of northern Colorado enrollment locations, date and times, visit www.cps3noco.org.

“Studies like this help us understand more and more about cancer so we can help our patients,” said Erica Dickson, Oncology Research Manager at Poudre Valley Hospital. “This is a pretty significant study. It should give us lots of insight and help everyone improve treatment.”

To enroll in the stud, people will be asked to read and  sign an informed consent form, complete a brief survey, have their waist circumference measured and give a small blood sample. The in-person enrollment process takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

At home, people will fill out a survey packet that asks for information on lifestyle, behavioral and other factors related to their health.  Periodic follow-up surveys will be sent to update participant information as well as annual newsletters with study updates and results. The initial and follow-up surveys completed at home will take an hour or less of time to complete and are expected to be sent every few years.

“We’re all touched by cancer in some way – whether it’s a family member, a friend or a colleague,” said Poudre Valley Hospital’s Oncology Research Medical Director, Dr. Robert Marschke. “Nearly 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. We really hope people help with the study.”

Read the complete article.

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Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness month a reminder about prevention and early detection

Posted in Cancer, Colorado Health Medical Group, Poudre Valley Cancer Network, University of Colorado Health, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

petit_photo

Author Dr. Joshua Petit, board-certified in radiation oncology, is the Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Poudre Valley Hospital.

Head and neck cancers are a group of cancers that arise in the mouth or throat area. Prevention or early detection of these cancers can literally save your life.

When found early, precancerous lesions or small cancers can simply be removed, eliminating any health risk to the patient. When diagnosed at a later stage, after the tumor has grown larger, these cancers require much more aggressive treatment and may still be fatal.

That is why April is National Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, to promote awareness and help save lives through prevention and early detection.

Historically these cancers have been associated with smoking or oral tobacco use, and much of the public, especially non-smokers, has assumed they are not at risk.

Non-smokers at risk

University of Colorado Health’s cancer program in northern Colorado has reviewed regional statistics and confirmed that in 2012 the majority of newly diagnosed head and neck cancers were found in non-smokers.

This finding is consistent with national trends demonstrating that the fastest growing segment of head and neck cancers is associated with the human papillomavirus and unrelated to smoking or tobacco use.

So what can you do about this?

Minimize your risk. Avoid smoking or oral tobacco use. If you drink alcohol, use moderation. Maintain good oral hygiene. See your dentist and primary care provider regularly to talk about healthy strategies to reduce your risk and screenings for head and neck cancer.

Get screened

Screening is generally fast, non-invasive, and typically involves a simple look around your mouth and neck area. The American Dental Association recommends screening at all routine dental visits or more often if indicated.

Get screened before you have symptoms and report any of the following signs or symptoms to your doctor as soon as possible:

  • Any new or painful lesion (typically a white or red patch, or ulceration) on the lips, tongue, gums, or throat area.
  • Persistent oral pain or bleeding.
  • Persistent ear pain.
  • Persistent sore throat.
  • Persistent voice changes or difficulty speaking clearly.
  • Unexplained weight loss or fatigue.
  • Trouble swallowing foods or liquids.
  • Enlarged lymph nodes or lumps in your neck area.
  • Swelling in mouth or throat, which may cause dentures to fit poorly.

As a doctor who treats head and neck cancers every day, I can tell you that the best strategy is to prevent them or find them early when treatment is relatively minimal. UCHealth has many new treatments available for those with more advanced cancers. However, my sincere hope is that through healthy living and proactive medical care you will never need them.

Dr. Joshua Petit, board-certified in radiation oncology, is the Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Poudre Valley Hospital.

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Happy hour’s on us: UCHealth plans March MAN-ness, a series of men’s health events

Posted in Cancer, Community, Fitness, Heart health, Nutrition, Obesity, University of Colorado Health, Wellness, tagged , , , , , , on February 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

With a nod to NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament, University of Colorado Health in northern Colorado has created its own men’s health awareness month — March MAN-ness — to emphasize the importance of disease prevention and early detection for men, who typically tend to avoid health checkups.

March MAN-ness is free and will feature complementary happy hour, sports trivia and three panel discussions:

All events are 6-8 p.m.

[Space is limited. Register now.]

Colorado State University Athletic Director Jack Graham will emcee the Fort Collins event.

Those who attend the Loveland event will have an opportunity to tour the Colorado Eagles’ locker room.

Along with complimentary food and drink, attendees will have opportunities to win Colorado Eagles season tickets and jerseys signed by the hockey team. Attendees are encouraged to wear sports garb.

The panel discussions will include Colorado Health Medical Group providers from primary care, oncology, cardiology, and urology, four medical areas where men’s lives are most impacted.

“We want to share information that can save lives but in a causal setting,” said panelist Dr. Benjamin Girdler, a urologist. “The events are about providing men a space to talk about often ignored topics like prostate, heart and colon health.”

Attendees will:

  • Hear stories about community members saved by early detection;
  • Gain an understanding of how nutrition and exercise can prevent cancer and heart disease;
  • Receive information on the importance of early detection screenings; and
  • Learn to identify early warning signs.

[Space is limited. Register now.]

The panel discussions will be streamed live through Google+ Hangouts and on-demand through UCHealth’s YouTube channel.

Many men wait until they are sick or in pain to see the doctor. Avoidance often occurs for a number of reasons. Common explanations are that it’s embarrassing or inconvenient. Some feel that they’re already healthy, while others are afraid of the exam and possible results.

Fort Collins resident Roger Corliss is a prime example. For years, he regularly had blood screenings at a community health fair. In 2000, his primary care doctor found abnormalities in his test results.

Corliss was eventually diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, and underwent treatment.

“I’m alive today because I caught it early through regular screenings,” said Corliss, who will share his story at the Fort Collins event. Although he has had a challenging journey, he is in remission and competes in shot put and discus at senior athlete track and field competitions. On average, people whose multiple myeloma is detected at a later stage than Corliss’ only have about 15 months to live.

For more information and to register visit: marchmanness.org.

–Dave Rizzotto, marketing and communications

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University of Colorado Health reaches milestone of first anniversary

Posted in University of Colorado Health, tagged , , , , on January 31, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

University of Colorado Health reached a milestone Jan. 31. This was the first anniversary of the day when executives at University of Colorado Hospital and Poudre Valley Health System signed a joint operating agreement to create UCHealth.

UCHealth has grown to include Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins; Medical Center of the Rockies hospital in Loveland; University of Colorado Hospital in the Denver metropolitan area; Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs; and Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie.

Bruce Schroffel and Rulon Stacey describe University of Colorado Health to employees shortly after the joint operating agreement was signed Jan. 31 to create the health system.

Bruce Schroffel and Rulon Stacey describe University of Colorado Health to employees shortly after legal papers were signed Jan. 31, 2012, to create the health system.

From Wyoming and down the length of the Colorado Front Range to Colorado Springs, the 15,000 employees of UCHealth are working to keep their communities healthy and well.

In the last year, UCHealth:

  • completed the Lone Tree Health Center, a multidisciplinary group practice in the south Denver metro area;
  • broke ground on an outpatient cancer center in Fort Collins;
  • opened an emergency department and one-day surgery center in Greeley;
  • started construction on a multidisciplinary clinic in Boulder;
  • worked on a plan to create a branch of the School of Medicine at the CU-Colorado Springs campus;
  • announced earlier this month that it had purchased land in the north metro Denver area, with discussions on how to use the real estate now underway;
  • made significant strides in placing PVH, MCR and Memorial on the same top-of-the-line electronic medical records system so there will be seamless care regardless of where a patient is treated in UCHealth; and
  • moved forward at a quick pace to ensure that medical protocols at each hospital are aligned with those at other hospitals. This system-wide approach is important in delivering high-quality, evidence-based care to patients.

“Our goal is to keep populations of patients healthy,” said Bruce Schroffel, UCHealth CEO.

UCHealth was born out of the need to respond to changes in the national health care scene. Back in 2011 when the plan for UCHealth was under development, Schroffel was University of Colorado Hospital’s president and CEO; Rulon Stacey was Poudre Valley Health System’s president and CEO.

Schroffel and Stacey shared the belief that fundamental changes on the horizon in health care would require independent hospitals to consolidate and collaborate in order to survive.

The basic assumptions

Efforts to rein in staggering health care expenditures would inevitably lead to lower reimbursement rates from both government and private payers. In addition, health care reforms led by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services promised to reward hospitals for high-quality care and improved patient outcomes, not merely for procedural volume. Commercial insurers, Schroffel and Stacey predicted, were sure to follow suit.

They therefore sought to create a system capable not only of weathering financial challenges, but also one committed to quality clinical care and patient satisfaction.

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University of Colorado Hospital ranked #1, Poudre Valley Hospital ranked #5 in state in US News hospital rankings

Posted in Awards, University of Colorado Health, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 17, 2012 | 1 Comment »

University of Colorado Hospital is the state’s top hospital, according to the latest rankings from US News & World Report.

[Read the press release]

Poudre Valley Hospital‘s No. 5 ranking in Colorado by US News means the newly created University of Colorado Health has two of the publication’s top five hospitals in the state.

U.S. News, whose rankings are a popular consumer source for gauging quality, scored UCH’s cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, rheumatology and kidney disorders programs among the top 50 in the United States. UCH shares the honor of having the country’s best respiratory care with National Jewish Health. UCH was also recognized as high-performing in a number of specialties.

“University of Colorado Health is comprised of some of the best hospitals in the nation,” said UCHealth CEO Bruce Schroffel.  “We’ve always said our goal is to marry the very best in academic medicine with the very best in community health care. Our shared vision is bringing this level of excellence to a growing number of Coloradoans along the Front Range.”

Poudre Valley Hospital was the fifth-ranked hospital in Colorado by US News, which also named the hospital high-performing in the following specialties:

  • Diabetes & Endocrinology
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Geriatrics
  • Gynecology
  • Nephrology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pulmonology
  • Urology

Medical Center of the Rockies ranked No. 13 overall in Colorado by US News, including recognition as high-performing in orthopedics.

For the full list of Colorado hospital rankings visit www.usnews.com/hospitals.

–Kevin Darst, director of marketing and communications

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Leading hospitals form University of Colorado Health

Posted in University of Colorado Health, tagged , , , , , , on January 31, 2012 | 2 Comments »

I have great news that I want to share with you.

The University of Colorado Hospital and Poudre Valley Health System announced Jan. 31 that we have completed the formal documents to create a new and unique health system in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West. We have worked diligently on creating this partnership since we announced our intentions in the summer.

Our goal is vigorous, ambitious and extremely important to the health care of patients in our community and throughout Colorado. We will fully integrate the University of Colorado Hospital, the best academic medical center in the nation, with PVHS, one of the best community health system in the United States.

Because of the exceptional talent assembled in the new system, we can collectively accomplish patient-care outcomes that may be unachievable if either of our organizations moved forward alone. Together, we will be the most dynamic, high quality provider of patient care in the Rocky Mountain West and we expect that our new system will become a leader in remaking America’s healthcare system.

The name of the new system will be University of Colorado Health. In selecting this name, we conducted extensive research that determined the name has the highest appeal to patients we serve. In addition, the name makes the most sense when we take into account the much broader patient base that the new health system will serve: all of Colorado and possibly adjacent states.

Our local hospitals—Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies, and the University of Colorado Hospital—will retain their names and also be identified as part of University of Colorado Health.

I feel fortunate in being named as the chief executive officer of University of Colorado Health. I will be responsible for overall operation and strategic direction, and I will work closely with the new organization’s 11-member board and Bruce Schroffel, the University of Colorado Hospital president and CEO who has been named the president of the board of directors for University of Colorado Health.

Here’s what you can expect in the future:

The quality of local patient care in our community will be enhanced. Community members will still be treated locally. The new organization will be robust and we anticipate increasing local employment numbers for the healthcare professional and support industries. Our new organization will be far better for our local patients, physicians, staff members, and communities.

I would like to encourage you to learn more by attending one of the community town hall meetings that we will hold:

  • 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, in the Long’s Peak meeting room at the Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland.
  • 5:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 8, in the Cafe F meeting room at Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins.
  • 5:30 p.m., Thur., Feb. 9, in MCR’s Long’s Peak meeting room.
  • 5:30 p.m., Fri., Feb. 10, in PVH’s Cafe F meeting room.
  • 5:30 p.m., Mon., Feb. 13, at the Greeley Medical Clinic, 1900 16th Street, Greeley.

For more information on the Jan. 31 announcement, please read the press release and visit the new organization’s website. And please visit our fact sheet to learn more about the new organization and its board of directors.

The creation of the new organization required dedicated efforts by many individuals–employees of the two organizations, the boards for each organization, physicians, and community leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them!

Rulon

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