Health: IndyBlog, Colorado Springs Independent

Anti-fracking group sues city

Kirk Woundy — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:51:00 -0600

Yesterday, Colorado Springs Citizens for Community Rights filed suit against the city in its ongoing effort to put a ban on fracking before local voters.

As explained in this week’s paper, the Initiative Title Setting Review Board last week rejected CSCCR’s proposed amendment to the city charter that would prevent “the extraction of natural gas or oil, including but not limited to, the processes commonly known as hydraulic fracturing and/or directional natural gas and oil well drilling, within the City of Colorado Springs.” The board contended the amendment violated the city’s rule against having multiple subjects addressed in a single ballot measure; CSCCR disagrees with that assessment, and even argues that the single-subject rule itself may not be legally valid.…

Strong turnout for local race in Boston's name

Miguel Bustamante — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:47:00 -0600

Yesterday the Pikes Peak Road Runners hosted a 5k to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Stephanie Wurtz, coordinator of the quickly organized event, estimates that 400 to 500 runners came out.…

The Springs honors Boston

Miguel Bustamante — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:54:00 -0600

Often at the Independent we look forward to brightening your week with fun articles, witty commentary, and entertaining local news. But sometimes we find ourselves affected by non-local news, as was the case a few weeks ago when the country became transfixed by the events at the Boston Marathon.…

Sixth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this weekend

Edie Adelstein — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:36:00 -0600

From the listings desk: If you happen to have some old oxycodone from your grandpa stashed under the counter, this news is for you.

Saturday is the Sixth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, where you can safely and freely rid yourself of old medicines.…

Personhood proponents back Joshi's bill

Chet Hardin — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:41:09 -0700

Last year, Colorado voters were so supportive of a "personhood amendment" that Amendment 62, which would have mandated that "the term ‘person’ shall apply to every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being," failed to even get enough support to make the November ballot.

Undaunted, Springs Republican Rep. Janak Joshi has sponsored HB 13-1032:

The bill provides that, if the commission of any crime codified in the criminal code or traffic code is the proximate cause of death or injury to an unborn member of the species homo sapiens, the prosecuting attorney, in charging the underlying offense, may also charge the homicide or assault offense that is appropriate to the death or injury.

On Monday, Personhood Colorado plans to hold a press conference at the Capitol in Denver to show their solidarity with Joshi.…

Heart docs join Memorial

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:33:16 -0700

Back in August, just after Colorado Springs voters gave overwhelming approval of the city-owned Memorial Hospital lease to University of Colorado Health, UCH CEO Bruce Schroffel told the Indy in an interview that the top priority of UCH was to recruit doctors.

Well, yesterday, Memorial issued a news release announcing a coup.…

VA clinic construction begins at Centennial and Fillmore

Pam Zubeck — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:07:11 -0700

If you're a veteran, you'll be glad to learn that ground has been broken on an expanded outpatient clinic in Colorado Springs.

“With today’s groundbreaking, Southern Colorado welcomes a new, vital, and cutting-edge medical facility for all those who wore our nation’s uniform,” Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, said in a statement released today.…

Free dental clinics for seniors

J. Adrian Stanley — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:09:09 -0600

The city has good news for seniors who can't afford a trip to the dentist.

For the next six months, the city, in partnership with Senior Mobile Dental, will be providing free dental screening to eligible people age 60 and up.…

Vote for Memorial, help it win $10,000

Pam Zubeck — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:17:40 -0600

With a click, you can help Memorial Hospital University of Colorado Health win $10,000 as a donation to cancer research.

Go here to see the video Memorial produced with the help of 400 employees and volunteers.…

Scialdone: Keeping his eye on quality care

Pam Zubeck — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:17:22 -0600

Mike Scialdone is eager to get off on the right foot. So he gave interviews to three newspapers today, the Independent included, a day after being named CEO of Memorial Health System.…

UCH hospital declared tops in nation

Pam Zubeck — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:23:32 -0600

Those 59,820 people in Colorado Springs who voted to lease city-owned Memorial Health System to University of Colorado Health will be happy to learn this: One of UCH's hospitals, University Hospital, has been named the highest-performing academic hospital for quality health care in the United States for the second year running, UCH says in a news release.

The designation was bestowed by the University HealthSystem Consortium, the 116-member alliance of the nation's leading nonprofit academic medical centers and 276 of their affiliated hospitals.…

West Nile in El Paso County

Chet Hardin — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:05:18 -0600

County health has confirmed the first~~-ever~~ 2012 case of West Nile virus in El Paso County.

From a press release:

The person developed symptoms consistent with West Nile Virus in late August, and has been hospitalized.…
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Diabetes walk this Saturday

Edie Adelstein — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:42:19 -0600

From the listings desk: For virtually every cause, there's a walk or run, and that's a great thing. Looking at the calendar the way we do, it's heartening to see 5Ks for everything from suicide prevention to Alzheimer's research.…

UPDATE: PERA sues the city over Memorial

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 09:01:30 -0600

City Attorney Chris Melcher got back to us via e-mail, saying:

The City is unfortunately not surprised by PERA's lawsuit, since PERA threatened to sue the City several weeks ago prior to the historic Memorial vote. Our negotiation team has gone to PERA's offices several times this summer in an effort to seek a reasonable resolution in this matter, and we continue to reach out to PERA to involve them in productive discussions.…
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El Paso County leads state in motorcycle fatalities

Matthew Schniper — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:50:25 -0600

This one hits home — so forgive the tone if I sound lecture-y.

You see, back on June 22, I was involved in a motorcycle accident that was not my fault, in which the driver of the car I impacted with never saw me, even though I had the right-of-way, was wearing bright yellow reflective gear, and was traveling below the speed limit.…

Memorial's new partner recruiting doctor groups

Pam Zubeck — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:25:00 -0600

University of Colorado Health, the city's new partner in Memorial Hospital, is doing some poaching. That comes from UCH CEO Bruce Schroffel in an Independent interview yesterday, less than 24 hours after 83 percent of Springs voters approved leasing Memorial to UCH for 40 years.…

UPDATE: Voters give Memorial lease big thumbs up

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:35:02 -0600

This from UCH's communications department:

"I think Bruce [Schroffel] misspoke tonight about the MHS signs. New signs went up tonight at both Memorial and Memorial North."

————— ORIGINAL POST, TUESDAY, AUG. 28, 9:28 P.M. —————

Calling the 83-percent "yes" vote to lease city-owned Memorial Health System to University of Colorado Health a mandate, Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach said today's vote marked a watershed moment in the city's history.…

Rabies warning

Pam Zubeck — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:36:08 -0600

El Paso County Public Health is warning residents that a "wild bat" (as opposed to a pet bat?) was found dead Monday near the sidewalk outside the Starsmore Discovery Center, 2120 S. Cheyenne Cañon Road.…

UPDATE: AG Suthers OKs Memorial lease

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:26:15 -0600

Here's the city's statement on Suthers' decision, released a little after 5 p.m.:

Proposed Lease of Memorial Health System to UCH Receives Approval from Colorado Attorney General

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office has issued an opinion under the Hospital Transfer Act (C.R.S § 6-19-101, et seq.) approving the proposed lease of the Memorial Health System to University of Colorado Health.…
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CSFD offers free health screenings

Wyatt Miller — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:41:37 -0600

This Saturday, July 21, marks the first of many health and wellness initiatives offered by the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Every third Saturday of the month, from 10 a.m. to noon, CSFD firefighters, EMTs and paramedics will team up with local "safety net" organizations to offer free blood pressure and blood sugar checks at four local supermarkets.…

UPDATE: Suthers wasn't a 'backer' of pro-lease group

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:14:52 -0600

We just received this e-mail from Stephannie Finley, explaining how John Suthers' name got posted without his permission. When she says it was brought to their attention yesterday, that probably came from Suthers' communications director.…

New blood at county health

Achille Ngoma — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:05:30 -0600

El Paso County Public Health has promoted Jill Law to the position of county public health director. She had been the interim public health director since March 2012, when executive director Kandi Buckland retired.…

Top rankings for Memorial's potential lessor

Pam Zubeck — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:06:48 -0600

University of Colorado Hospital, a part of University of Colorado Health, is tops in the nation in several treatment areas, according to a press release.

University of Colorado Health is an organization recently formed to include Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora.…

Memorial: Here comes the 'vote yes' campaign

Pam Zubeck — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:22:15 -0600

A campaign to urge Colorado Springs residents to support a lease of city-owned Memorial Health System is under way, as we reported in this story about the ballot measure.

The mail-ballot election takes place Aug. 28, when voters will decide whether to OK a 40-year lease of Memorial's assets to the University of Colorado Health System in exchange for $259 million up front, $5.6 million a year plus a revenue-sharing program, an average of $28 million a year for capital improvements, and $3 million a year for 30 years to establish a medical school at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).…

One step closer: City signs Memorial lease

Pam Zubeck — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:57:27 -0600

Colorado Springs officials and those with the University of Colorado Health System signed a lease Monday for city-owned Memorial Health System.

The lease signing paves the way for an Aug. 28 special election for voters to decide whether to lease a hospital the city has owned since the 1940s.…