
We’ve

ICD
We’ve
ICD
n independent , nonprofit hospital for 50 years!
From modest beginnings in the old Mill Creek Court Building in 1965, Vail Valley Medical Center (VVMC) has grown into one of the world’s most advanced mountain hospitals, providing Olympic-quality sports medicine, leading evidence-based research, modern cancer care and extensive cardiology services — all high-quality services with exceptional outcomes.
Over the past five decades, our community has successfully built an independent, nonprofit medical center. In line with this vision, VVMC keeps hundreds of jobs and resources local, better serving our region and visitors from around the world. It’s been quite a journey so far, and we are just as excited about the next 50 years, including breaking ground on the Vail "hospital of the future" in 2015.
As a center of health and wellness in one of the healthiest counties in America, we are delighted to provide another edition of the award-winning Vail Health Magazine. Though only the third edition, Colorado Healthcare Communicators awarded this publication Colorado’s “Nonprofit Project of the Year”. This magazine and medical directory is your guide for active, healthy living in Eagle County and beyond.
I invite you to learn about women’s often ignored risk for heart disease from experts at our new Cardiology Institute on page 50. With the addition of renowned cardiologists, VVMC was able to expand our cardiology services to include pacemaker and ICD implants and a cardiac catheterization lab (opening in 2014). With an aging population in Eagle County, these additions will save lives and allow for advanced cardiac treatments close to home.
We’ve also added Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and 3D mammography to our list of capabilities. Dr. Dennis Lipton of VVMC Internal Medicine teaches us how to beat mountain-specific seasonal allergies on page 18 and we follow one paitents journey to dispell the myth that mammograms hurt on page 34.
As a leader in mountain healthcare, VVMC and our partners at The Steadman Clinic were recently named a National Medical Center by the U.S. Olympic Committee – one of only two in the country. Our mission is to provide superior health services with compassion and exceptional outcomes, and we hope this is evident in our expanding services, low infection rate, free community services and top-rated patient satisfaction scores. On behalf of our amazing medical providers, support staff, volunteers and Board of Directors, thank you for your continued confidence in VVMC and your sustained support. I hope you enjoy Vail Health Magazine!
Sincerely,
Doris Kirchner president & ceo vail valley medical center
Vail Valley Medical Center Board of Directors
primary purpose : operations
Art Kelton – Chair
Dick Cleveland
Reg Franciose, MD
Chris Jarnot
Doris Kirchner
Charlie L’Esperance
Jeff Shroll
Susan Suggs
Wayne Wenzel, MD
Vail Health Services Board of Directors
primary purpose : strategy & fiduciary
Michael Shannon – Chair
Andy Arnold
Mel Bergstein
Sam Bronfman II
Ron Davis
Johannes Faessler
Reg Franciose, MD
Peter Frechette
Randi Jaerbyn
Art Kelton
Doris Kirchner
Jay Precourt
Richard Steadman, MD
Sally Veitch
34
What Hurts More
Than a Mammogram?
Every day, women engage in painful beauty routines. Yet those same women sometimes avoid mammograms due to the discomfort and fear they cause. Local veterinary technician Cathy Wetzel braves the world of beauty-induced pain to help spread the word. By Kim Fuller
38
Side by Side
Instead of using personal time off for a relaxing vacation, a team from VVMC headed to Tanzania for a four-week-long volunteer trip that was focused on a new maternity ward in Haydom.
By Shauna Farnell
40
A Glance at Your Gland
If you’re eating healthily, exercising moderately and getting enough sleep, but are still tired and run down, it might be time to look at your thyroid. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are common, but are dangerous when left untreated. By Shauna Farnell
43
Kamper the Conqueror Emergency Department Doctor Matt Kamper decided to tackle Colorado’s 14ers in 2009. He recently completed his goal, and at 52 became the oldest person to summit all of the state’s official (and a couple unofficial) 14ers. By Kim Nicoletti
50 Happy Heart
It surprises people that more women than men die of cardiovascular disease. Because the symptoms are different and less obvious, it’s important for women to get regular tests and checkups, as well as be well informed as to the risks.
By Kimberly Nicoletti
54
46
Good Eats
Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean food has to be uninteresting. Terra Bistro’s Kevin Nelson shares some of his lively, inventive recipes that use such nutritional powerhouses as sprouted quinoa, portobello mushrooms and carrots.
By Kim Fuller
Gluten — Good or Bad Idea?
Gluten-free diets are all the rage, but VVMC dieticians Melaine Hendershott and Katie Mazzia bring some clarity to the subject. For those who aren’t sensitive to it, eliminating gluten can mean forgoing some essential nutrients.
By Shauna Farnell
56
When Mike Brumbaugh moved to Vail 23 years ago, he knew he was home. The local business owner has picked up several sports along the way, including skiing, cycling, paddling, ice climbing and rock climbing. He packs in as many adventures as possible. By Shauna Farnell
Having practiced in Santa Monica, California for over two decades, Dr. Jeffrey Resnick is a master at face, breast and body contouring. His artistic talents are available full-time right here in the Vail Valley, so you can take your looks to the next level and recover in this serene alpine setting. A very beautiful combination indeed.
(970) 569-7656 | VVMC.COM/PLASTICS | EDWARDS, COLORADO
the team
publisher
Lindsay Warner Hogan
editor
Wren Bova
photo editor
Dominique Taylor
creative direction
Ali & Aaron Creative
marketing director
Michael Holton
contributors
Brent Bingham
Shauna Farnell
Kim Fuller
Christine Hall
John LaConte
Ross Leonhart
Zach Mahone
Karen Mason
Justin McCarty
Kim Nicoletti
vail valley medical center executive team
Nicholas Brown
Peggy Carey
Charles Crevling
Retiring surgeon Dr. J. Richard Steadman leaves a legacy of innovative procedures and patient care
It takes a lot of prevention to keep Vail's future ski and snowboard stars
It’s time to talk about suicide — the second-leading cause of
New and improved techniques deliver better options and results for patients of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics
What to do when you encounter an injured or incapacitated person and help is still on its way
Today’s kids will be tomorrow’s scientists, so the Steadman Philippon Research Institute is nurturing them now
Expert advice for pregnant moms’ real questions
For those suffering from acid reflux, there is a simple, life-changing procedure available
Brian Foster
Dr. Barry Hammaker
Doris Kirchner
Laura Millard
Luke O’Brien
Sheila Sherman
Rick Smith
printing
Publication Printers, Denver
on the cover Ashley Dentler is a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning coach at Howard Head Sports Medicine. Responsible for treating patients on the patient care unit as well as all post-operative patients with both medical and orthopaedic diagnoses, she's an avid biker and enjoys playing outside.
photo zach mahone
With some of the most respected Denver Health surgeons in Colorado on our team, Vail Valley Medical Center is fortunate to be the home of Mountain Surgical Associates (MSA). Known for their expertise in emergency and trauma care, they are also experts in:
b General surgery: abdominal, thoracic and endocrine
b Laparoscopic surgery: hernia repair, gall bladder, colon and reflux disease
b Cancer surgery: breast, colon and rectal, endocrine, lung and melanoma
b Trauma/critical care: around-the-clock care for critically ill and injured patients
b Wound and Ostomy: treatment of acute and chronic wounds
Each year, Vail Valley Medical Center honors its top employees in several Peaks of Excellence categories. Nominated by peers or supervisors, winners are reviewed and selected by a special committee and celebrated at an annual reception. Additionally, honors are bestowed upon the top volunteers and the Physician of the Year for their excellence in service and care.
FINANCE PEAK AWARD
Smith
PEOPLE PEAK AWARD
Gober
SERVICE PEAK AWARD
GROWTH PEAK AWARD
QUALITY PEAK AWARD
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR
SAFETY PEAK AWARD
Preventing injury is a little different at 60 than it is at 20 PHOTOS DOMINIQUE TAYLOR
oward head sports medicine is known for being the best in helping people recover from an injury. But what you may not know is that they also specialize in injury prevention (not just rehabilitation) through exercise. In fact, some of the world’s best athletes train with Howard Head in hopes of avoiding the wear-and-tear injuries that sports often cause. We worked with Howard Head’s Philip Galloway to learn what general injuries are common among age groups and what exercises can be done to combat those injuries and keep you active and healthy. »
SINGLE LEG BALANCE
Balance begins to deteriorate as you enter your 50s and 60s. The loss of balance can impact your fun — and the likelihood that you’ll stay on your feet when challenged by an icy patch. By practicing balance exercises, you can fight those forces of nature.
Begin by focusing your gaze on a fixed point. Keep your eyes glued to that point and lift one leg.
Increase the difficulty by standing on something soft (like a pillow or towel) or an unstable surface.
Make this exercise more dynamic by balancing on one foot and reaching as far to the front, back left and back right as possible. Repeat on the other leg.
SINGLE LEG BALANCE ON A PILLOW
SINGLE LEG BALANCE ON A BOSU BALL
SINGLE LEG BALANCE REACH FORWARD
SINGLE LEG BALANCE REACH BACK LEFT
SINGLE LEG BALANCE REACH BACK RIGHT
SHOULDER EXTERNAL ROTATION AT SIDE
EXTERNAL ROTATION AT 90 DEGREES
SHOULDER INTERNAL ROTATION AT SIDE
INTERNAL ROTATION AT 90 DEGREES
SHOULDER EXTENSION WITH EXTERNAL ROTATION
In your 40s, your rotator cuffs will tear easier than they would have in your 20s and 30s. But preparing your body to withstand that shoulder stress is as easy as picking up a theraband from a sporting goods store and fastening it to a wall in your house.
With your elbows flexed to 90 degrees, rotate away from your body and then return to the start position. Make this more effective by placing a rolled towel under your armpit to hold the form. For the shoulder internal rotation, turn around and do the reverse of the previous exercise.
For added challenge, take the rotation exercises above and add a 90-degree bend in your elbows.
Next, try shoulder extensions using the theraband. Start with your arms out front, thumbs pointing out and elbows locked. Pull the bands to your pocket area and squeeze shoulders back and down. Keep in mind what your mother always told you — no slouching.
If you made it out of your 20s without any knee problems (or even if you didn’t), it may be time to start thinking about your back. The core strength you had leftover from your college days is likely fading. By keeping yourself strong through your midsection, you’ll also decrease your chances of hurting your lower back.
For a V sit with legs lifted, sit on the ground with your feet elevated, keeping your spine straight and hold the position for 10-15 seconds.
For a flat plank, prop up on your elbows and toes with your back straight. For a side plank, prop up on one elbow and the side of one foot, keeping your body in a straight line. For increased difficulty, add a leg lift or unstable surface such a ball.
For bridge, lie on your back, digging your heels into the ground. Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line. For increased difficulty, only use one leg and rotate legs.
The 20s and younger are about feeling indestructible, but you are still certainly at risk for injury from moving incorrectly during activity. By working on the positioning of your lower body while performing athletic moves, you can reduce the likelihood of many common knee injuries.
While at home or in the gym, practicing correct form in squats — double leg, single leg or plyometric — will improve your form and carry over into your sports. It’s all about alignment: Keep the hips and knees aligned over your feet, and keep your chest and shins parallel deep into the squat.
For single leg squats, keep the same form as double leg squats but you also need to keep your hips level as you lower into the squat.
For plyometric squats, maintain the same form again, but you will have the added challenge of 2.5x the weight, which your muscles will have to control and still keep your body aligned.
A wide variety of physical activity reduces anxiety, depression and stress, while increasing self esteem and the ability to sleep.
Cataracts are more common at high elevations, so always opt for eyewear that offers UV protection.
Exercise relieves stress, which is one of the risk factors people can control. So do meditation and restorative yoga.
Howard Head Sports Medicine inpatient therapy manager Ashley Dentler is a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning coach.
Engage in 30-60 minutes of daily aerobic and anaerobic activity, and avoid injury with warming up as well as stretching.
SKIN
Wear sunscreen and stay moisturized. Eat your fruits (2 cups daily), veggies (3 cups daily) and omega-3 fatty acids (2 grams daily).
Eat antioxidants, which attack the molecules that cause widespread cell damage and are linked to most chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
While aging is inevitable, longevity is accessible. Local experts share the best ways to extend your years from the inside-out
BY KIM FULLER // PHOTO ZACH MAHONE
"Joint health is so important, because mobility and activity are two of the secret ingredients to longevity and quality of life," says Dr. Peter Millett, director of shoulder surgery and a shoulder, knee, elbow and sports medicine specialist at The Steadman Clinic. "Without good joint health, it becomes difficult to remain active and independent."
Millett says a sedentary lifestyle, versus one of movement, can lead to many disease processes, such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes or heart disease.
A healthy lifestyle that promotes both aerobic and anaerobic activity is key, Millet explains. He recommends thirty to sixty minutes of daily activity, with appropriate warmup and stretching to help prevent injury. Activities such as yoga or tai chi can help with
one's balance and may prevent falls later in life, he adds.
"Extra pounds at the waistline translate into extra loads at the hip, knee and ankle joints, which over time can contribute to osteoarthritis and other degenerative conditions."
Dr. Karen Nern, board-certified physician and owner of Vail Dermatology, says studies have shown that nutrition really does affect your skin.
"People who increase their intake of fruits and vegetables are proven to have more red and yellow in their skin," Nern says. "This makes their skin look better."
Exposure and tanning beds will increase aging in skin and the risk of skin cancer.
Nern recommends moisturizing skin with a cream while
the skin is still moist, and to use products with antioxidants (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, phloretin, ferrulic acid, idebenone), a broad spectrum sunscreen with zinc, as well as skin products that contain antiaging components, like retinol, which is a form of Vitamin A that helps with fine lines.
tered dietician at Shaw Regional Cancer Center. "If you feel healthy, vital and have a good quality of life you feel young."
Hendershott explains that the earlier you start fueling your body with what keeps you young, the younger your body will remain, and you will reduce the risk of "feeling old."
Just like children are so often told: "eat your fruits and veggies." Hendershott says lots of fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and whole grains are the key to eating for longevity.
Jennifer Straw, registered nurse at Vail Valley Medical Center, certified yoga instructor and wellness coach, says that stress is one of the modifiable risk factors for heart disease and other diseases.
"You can't do anything about your age or your family history, but you can work to manage stress in healthy ways," says Straw.
Exercise is one great stress reliever, since it releases endorphins that make you feel great, and since the effects stay with you beyond your workout.
"I have always found that finding activities that you truly enjoy is the best way to get regular exercise in your life," Straw shares.
She recommends meditation and restorative yoga as great tools to manage stress while resting your body from exercise, which she says is also necessary. And don’t forget down time.
"It’s important to take rest days to let your muscles recover and rebuild,” she says.
Fruits and vegetables are important for their antioxidant richness, she explains, which means they combat free radicals — molecules that cause widespread cell damage and are linked to most chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
helps to fight off disease and other health conditions, and helps maintain better sleeping habits and more restful sleep.”
Without good joint health, it becomes difficult to remain active and independent."
And “exercising” doesn’t mean spending hours in a gym. “Exercise can be small activities throughout your day or week that add up in the end,” Dentler says. Studies show that simply walking most days helps reduce risk of dementia by over 30 percent, and that mindful movement activities like yoga are great for reducing stress and prevention falls. Current recommendations are to exercise at least 150 minutes per week.
size enough is the importance of a good, annual eye exam with dilation,” Ehrlich says.
Ehrlich explains how preventative, yearly exams are how people don't miss dangerous and even deadly conditions, like melanoma skin cancer in the back of the eye.
UV protection for the eyes is essential in our sunny and high-altitude environment, and Vitamins A, C, E and zinc have been proven to help detour macular degeneration, a serious condition of vision loss that is associated with aging eyes.
"Fish oil is also great for dry eyes, since they fatty acids help keep tear film healthy and moist," he says.
"Certainly, staying young is more based on how you feel, rather than your age on paper, or even how you look," says Melaine Hendershott, regis-
"Antioxidants also make you look great from the inside-out," she says. "They help fight skin-damaging free radicals, keep your vision sharp and protect your brain."
The goal should be to have two cups of fruit and three cups of veggies per day, and to incorporate at least two grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day from fatty fish, walnuts and ground flax seeds to reduce chronic inflammation in the body.
Margaret Brammer, social worker and survivorship coordinator at Shaw Regional Cancer Center, says physical activity can have extraordinary long-term benefits — not just for a person's body, but also for their mind and spirit as well.
"Study after study is showing us that incorporating some sort of physical activity is a great way to reduce anxiety, depression and stress,” Brammer says. “Physical activity helps regulate our mood, helps us sleep better and increases our self-esteem."
When we take care of our bodies, we feel more alert, our concentration improves, our mood lifts and we find situations more manageable.
"We only have one life, so we deserve to have it be as happy, healthy and stress-free as possible,” Brammer says.
Exercise is essential to anti-aging. “It not only helps to maintain the body's normal physiological functions, it also emotionally rejuvenates the mind and soul,” says Ashley Dentler, Howard Head Sports Medicine physical therapist. “Exercise helps to control your weight, boosts your energy and maintains a healthy emotional state and mood. It also
Dr. Matthew Ehrlich, board-certified ophthalmologist, says he often sees patients in their 30s and 40s who have not seen an eye doctor in five to 10 years.
"But what I cannot empha-
Ehrlich recommends paying close attention to the eye history of your family members, in order to help predict an onset of cataracts, which is a clouding of the lens of aging eyes.
"We see more early cataracts here in the mountains than at sea level," Ehrlich says.
Katie Mazzia, nutritionist at Vail Valley Medical Center, says supplements are not a substitute for healthy eating. Supplements provide single nutrients and may not work the same as a combination of nutrients from eating a whole food, Mazzia explains. She says broccoli is considered a "superfood" for all its nutrients (color, flavor, fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.), not just because it's high in Vitamin C.
"As we age, there may be a place for supplements for those who are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals, such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, calcium or iron," says Mazzia.
Overall, she says, work on improving your diet first, and always check with your doctor and pharmacist first before staring any kind of supplement.
Navigating Vail’s mountains, Costa Rica’s jungles and Tuscany’s country roads is easier with help from the Traveler’s Clinic
BY KIM FULLER
t doesn ’ t take much to feel off balance when you’re on the road (or in a plane or on a train). When we change our physical environment, slightly or dramatically, we can be more sensitive to physical ailments — without the benefit of our existing healthcare structure. Sometimes you can’t avoid an adventure that’s a little under-the-weather, but you can plan ahead and be prepared for the issues you’re most likely to encounter.
Lucia London, advanced registered nurse practitioner with Vail Valley Medical Center Traveler’s Clinic, says motion sickness consists of a group of signs and symptoms that develop in response to real or perceived motion.
“These include cold sweats, nausea, hypersalivation, vomiting or sensation of body warmth,” explains London.
At the Travelers' Clinic, registered nurse practitioners such as Lucia London help people prepare for trips with immunizations and other recommended medications.
“Motion sickness can result from exposure to movement or from visual suggestion of movement; traveling through water, on land or in air can trigger motion sickness, although sea sickness is most common.”
Susceptibility to motion sickness varies individually, London says, but is most common in women, especially during pregnancy, as well as in children ages 2 to 12, and those who suffer from migraine headaches.
London recommends taking medications for motion sickness before the symptoms set in, so it’s important to pay attention to your physical reactions when traveling — and plan ahead.
Several over-the-counter prescriptions are available for mild to moderate motion sickness, she says, including Bonine or Dramamine. These medications can cause drowsiness, so driving and alcohol consumption should be avoided. London says that for longer journeys, a scopolamine transdermal patch may be necessary; it is placed behind the ear and can provide up to 72 hours of medication.
“There are some non-medicinal therapies that are appealing to travelers, such as acupuncture wristbands,” London says. “Although controlled trials are limited or do not show clear benefits in a number of clinical trials.”
London recommends the following ways to help stop motion sickness before it starts: Select a position in the most stable part of a vehicle, such as the mid-point of a ship, or the wing seats on a plane. Ensure a seat with good visibility. Focus on a distant point, or take over driving the vehicle. Create good ventilation. Avoid reading.
Eat small, low-fat meals; avoid alcohol and smoking. Avoid becoming overheated. Take an over-the-counter motion sickness medication before symptoms set in.
Barotrauma, or ear pain, affects those flying, especially during ascent and descent, as air in the middle ear and sinuses will expand and contract.
London says to facilitate the free flow of air and to prevent pain, it is helpful to chew (something like gum, for example), and to yawn. She recommends offering a drink to young children and a pacifier to infants.
During long flights (four hours or more), London says blood flow in the legs is reduced, blood becomes more viscous (thicker), and a blood clot may form, causing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
"DVT is related to multiple factors," says London, "such as duration of flight, environmental factors in the cabin, such as a dry cabin atmosphere, and personal risk factors."
Although many episodes of DVT are without symptoms, London says some symptoms of the condition may include the following: swelling in the lower or whole leg; leg becomes warm or discolored. Clots in the leg can become detached and travel via the venous circulation to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE). She says symptoms of a PE include breathlessness, chest pain with deep breathing, and occasionally coughing up blood.
London offers the following advice to prevent leg swelling during travel: Wear comfortable, loose clothing that is not tight at the waist or knees. Get up and walk around the cabin hourly; aisle seats are best for this.
Exercise calf and thigh muscles by extending and flexing ankles and knees. Do not cross knees or ankles. Drink plenty of fluids. Drink alcohol and coffee only in moderation.
If you have personal risk factors, compression stockings are recommended. (Some risk factors include: obesity, age greater than 50, late pregnancy or the first 12 weeks postpartum, varicose veins, recent surgery in the past four to six weeks, limb immobilization with casts, oral contraception or hormone replacement therapy.)
“Altitude sickness occurs when one ascends more rapidly than the body can adjust to the reduced atmospheric pressure and decreased oxygen delivery to the body’s cells at a higher altitude,” London explains. She says symptoms of acute mountain sickness include headache, loss of appetite and fatigue, and can progress to nausea, vomiting and extreme lassitude (physical weariness).
“Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are effective in treating headaches associated with high altitude,” says London. “And they may also prevent headaches when taken a few hours prior to ascent.”
For some travel itineraries to extremely high altitudes, consider the medication Acetazolamide (Diamox), which improves one’s acclimatization and does not mask symptoms, London adds. She says this needs a prescription, and its use should be discussed with your travel practitioner.
Prevent altitude sickness with London’s advice: Ascend gradually; spending a day in Denver can be helpful. Avoid alcohol consumption and stay hydrated with lots of water. Participate in mild exercise for the first 48 hours.
Do not ascend directly to altitudes greater than 9,800 feet, if possible, especially if coming from sea level.
The VVMC’s Traveler’s Clinic, located in Occupational Health Clinic in Avon, next to Avon Urgent Care, is a great resource for those planning to travel to foreign countries. In addition to supplying information and administering both recommended and required vaccinations, staff members can offer information on diseases that can be contracted through food, water and insects, as well as advice on specific health concerns and/ or risks associated with certain countries.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Visit vvmc.com/travel, or call (970) 569.7715 for more information.
by KIM FULLER
FEATURING VAL VASQUEZ, PHYSICAL THERAPIST HOWARD HEAD SPORTS MEDICINE, GYPSUM
Full-body exercise for leg and core strength.
form critique : Don't lean too far forward; this will increase stress on your lower back. Stack your shoulders over your hips. Knees commonly collapse inward due to hip weakness, so keep your knees directly over your ankles. Shifting weight to one side is common, which demonstrates muscle imbalance or lack of motion in the hip, knee or ankle. Keep your heels on the ground and put your weight on them.
Full-body strengthening pose for core and abdominal strength.
form critique : Abdominal weakness often causes the lower back to sag. Push through your elbows which will keep shoulder blades against ribcage. Do not allow shoulder blades to squeeze together or lift off back which is known as “scapular winging.” Do create a solid plank, with no sloping in your shoulders, back or hips.
Increases leg and glute strength. form critique : Don't lean forward when you are bending your knees and lowering your body into lunge; keep your chest up over your hips. Often, feet are not separated enough in the lunge, or the back leg is not bent, causing the knee of the front foot go forward (past the toes). This increases stress on the front knee. Don't allow your front knee to collapse inward; keep it in line over your ankle.
For arm strength in the biceps. form critique : Too much weight often leads to swinging weights or using momentum to lift the weight; correct this by decreasing the weight. Core weakness may create rotation in the body during the curl. Focus on keeping your torso straight and your shoulders square. Don't flex forward or extend through the lower back to pull up the weight. Reduce the weight to rely on the strength of the bicep to curl the weight upward.
Exercises to increase back and arm strength — specifically the lattissmus "lat" dorsi and the biceps.
form critique : Don't rotate your body or swing the weights when pulling weight back towards your body; this is caused by core weakness, or trying to lift too much weight. Focus on keeping your shoulders parallel to the ground. The weight in your hand should not touch your ribs. Keep your elbow in line with your shoulder, and lift your wrist and the weight up in line with your elbow and shoulder. Do put your hand on a bench to support your upper body; this prevents you from extending through your lower back when pulling the weight upward.
VVMC’s internal medicine doc explains how to understand and fight seasonal allergies
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
race yourself because the onslaught is coming: sneezing, runny nose; puffy, watery eyes — inexplicable waves of exhaustion. Once the warm weather kicks in and the snow begins to melt, it happens. And anyone under the impression that seasonal allergies don’t strike way up here in the high country of Colorado need only talk to someone — one in five individuals, according to statistics — whose life is overrun by these symptoms every spring. Luckily there are ways to avoid this misery, not to mention save significant dollars on stockpiling Kleenex. What is the most common culprit for seasonal
allergies around Vail? Like most places, it’s pollen. While Eagle County might not have the same profusion of plants and trees as say, Knoxville, Tenn. (rated by WebMD as the worst allergy city in the U.S.), there is no shortage of pollen producers in these parts. Not only do evergreen trees produce a large amount of pollen, but so do trees you don’t commonly think of in Rocky Mountain alpine areas.
“The allergy season in the Vail Valley is mainly in the spring and summer. Pollens from trees such as big sagebrush and willow are most prevalent during this time,” says Dr. Dennis Lipton, internal medicine physician at Vail Valley Medical Center. “Any flower-
ing plant or pollinating grass can also trigger allergies. Fortunately, since the climate here is fairly dry, mold is not that common a culprit. Also, dog and cat hair is a frequent culprit that should not be overlooked.”
The evergreens are abundant at 8,000 feet and above, and aspen groves (which also produce pollen) are absolutely everywhere in Vail and Beaver Creek. In Avon and westward, however, the slopes are coated in sagebrush and the valley floor and Eagle River corridor are teeming with willows. If you’re in doubt of the prevalence of pollen in the Vail Valley, simply park your car next to a pine tree, willow or thatch of sagebrush for an hour in May or June (depending on the snow thaw and ensuing bloom) and it will literally be caked in a yellow dust by the time you get back.
If you are allergic to pollen specifically — even though it’s not that specific because pollen comes from so many different trees and plants — you have what is referred to as hay fever, characterized by sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat and watery, itchy eyes. For people allergic to pet dander, spring and summer is also when shedding happens and animal hair is floating around in abundance.
While some individuals develop allergies as children, others take them on suddenly, even in areas where they have lived their entire lives, exposed to pollen that never bothered them before.
Sagebrush Willows
Evergreens
Aspens
POLLEN ALLERGIES, KNOWN AS HAY FEVER
“People with a personal history of allergies are certainly more prone to getting them again and they can run in families,” Dr. Lipton says. “People who have asthma or eczema in childhood can also be more prone to allergies through their lifetime. Otherwise it can be hard to predict where and when allergies develop. Just like people can suddenly develop an allergy to a medication they have been taking for years, people can suddenly develop allergies to dust and pollen in the environment.”
Those who are new to seasonal allergies might mistake them for a spring cold or virus. The telltale difference is that allergies stick around.
“Allergy symptoms and upper respiratory infection symptoms can be very similar – runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing. Seasonal allergies, however, tend to me more persistent and last longer. Seasonal allergies do not include fever or severe sore throat, and coughing is much less common. Antihistamines can help the symptoms either way but are more effective with seasonal allergies.”
When you are allergic to something such as pollen or pet dander, your body produces histamines, a chemical that causes your nasal and eye membranes to swell. Antihistamines shut down this process and prevent symptoms. There are a number of over-the-counter antihistamines available, but finding the one that
Just like people can suddenly develop an allergy to a medication they have been taking for years, people can suddenly develop allergies to dust and pollen in the environment.”
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES
Steroid nasal spray Fluticasone
Antihistamine eye drops
NON-SEDATING ANTIHISTAMINES SUCH AS Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin
SEDATING ANTIHISTAMINES
works best for you can involve a trial and error process. “Second generation antihistamine medications like Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin — or their generic equivalents — are popular because they work well and are generally non-sedating,” Dr. Lipton says. “Other antihistamines like Diphenhydramine or Chlorpheniramine work very well but are generally very sedating. If symptoms are mainly nasal, a steroid nasal spray like Fluticasone can work wonders. If symptoms are mainly ocular — itchy, watery eyes — antihistamine eye drops can work well. The localized treatments like eye or nose drops are less likely to cause systemic side effects.” Medication affects each individual differently and sometimes a person can try several products and still not be relieved of symptoms. This is when tracking symptoms and history of one’s condition with an internal medicine doctor can be useful.
Diphenhydramine or Chlorpheniramine
MEDICATION OPTIONS
“If symptoms are severe or don’t respond to usual treatments, the next step is testing or referral to an allergist. I can order blood panels that check for antibodies to common allergens. An allergist can do patch testing on the skin to discover the problem,” Dr. Lipton says. Sometimes it takes medication several days to begin fighting symptoms effectively, so it’s important to know when your symptoms are the worst and begin taking medicine beforehand as a preventative measure, then continue it throughout allergy season.
“It can take some experimentation to see which medication works best,” Dr. Lipton says. “If someone has testing that indicates a specific allergen, a series of allergy shots from a specialist can really help with symptoms.”
What
it takes to get Vail’s future ski and snowboard stars back on their feet and stronger than ever
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
On-snow training is only one component of an athlete's strength and conditioning program, as evidenced by athlete Heidi Livran, running zigzags with Jake Wuth.
atching the olympics in February – skiers flying around gates or down a moguls course at high speeds, snowboarders spinning off jumps and out of the halfpipe – you couldn’t help but wonder how they do it and how they get to that level. You marvel at how they don’t get hurt.
The truth is that like any professional sport, especially with the inherently high risk of skiing and snowboarding, becoming a star sometimes does involve getting hurt.
Luckily for our future ski and snowboard stars, this valley offers a finely oiled machine comprised of health care professionals, trainers and therapists that keeps athletes performing at the top level and bouncing back strong from setbacks.
The valley’s next wave of Olympians begins with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) – the club that produced America’s most recognized skier Lindsey Vonn. As a testament to SSCV’s ongoing star power, of the 12 SSCV athletes at the Sochi Games, three came home with medals – golds for SSCV alumni alpiner Mikaela Shiffrin and snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington and silver for Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano.
The Vail club works with a team of local medical professionals and therapists who are not only ready to spring the moment there is any sort of injury or setback, but also provides specialized training for all of the
club’s disciplines (alpine and Nordic racers, mogul, free skiers and snowboarders), strengthening athletes and reducing injuries.
“What we ask these athletes to do is very risky,” says SSCV Human Performance Director John Cole. “We look at someone like (SSCV Olympic skier) Aaron Blunck who’s flying over 20 feet out of the halfpipe — 40 feet from the apex of his jump to the bottom of the pipe — and we do a very detailed analysis of the movement patterns and injury risk. We have to take a hard look at how we build programs for these young athletes.”
As an example, about seven years ago the club focused new training on female alpine racers — for whom the most common injury is ACL tears — on hip and posterior leg strengthening. This came after a discovery that female skiers were potentially susceptible to knee injuries when a postural valgus stance (in which a part of the leg is bent outward) was found in functional movement screening. This specialized programming reduced the rate of ACL tears among full-time club athletes by 20 percent.
“To be able to have on-site care at the club is gigantic for us,” Cole says. “If we have an injury beyond treatment relief, say a potential ACL injury, we ask the family who their preferred medical provider is – VailSummit Orthopaedics or The Steadman Clinic – and get those athletes in right away. The clinic’s doctors and ATCs understand the time-sensitive nature and how fast we need to get these athletes assessed.”
Specialist Chris Cail of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics is actually on the hill with SSCV. In the event of a significant injury, he expedites the athlete to the necessary medical specialist.
“We tend to not miss
What we ask these athletes to do is very risky."
things this way. We have someone physically there and we get them in right away,” says Dr. Rick Cunningham of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics. “We make sure [any injury] is addressed immediately and that we treat it and get them back on the hill and competing again.”
Often times an athlete’s injury doesn’t require surgery, so instead of seeing Dr. Cunningham or another surgeon, the athlete goes for detailed therapy at Howard Head Sports Medicine, which not only treats injuries for SSCV and the US Ski and Snowboard Team but provides state-of-theart preventative exercise and conditioning programs that mitigate the inherent risk of the sport. They strengthen athletes to avoid injury in the first place.
“We endeavor to minimize injuries and maximize performance, teach proper movement patterns at a young age and perpetuate the dream of becoming at Olympic athlete,” says Howard Head physical therapist Matt Mymern, who points out that top-level skiing and snowboarding requires finetuning of the body’s overall mobility, core stability, mental acuity, lower extremity strength and shoulder stability. Howard Head conducts highly advanced tests using the most current research and technology to ensure that an athlete is 100 percent in all of these areas prior to competition.
Every SSCV athlete
is closely screened by a rotation of medical and physical therapy specialists for any kinds of movement dysfunction — knees folding inward during squats, ankles coming off the floor during lifts — and those movements are corrected.
overloading the injured body part. This streamlined process between the ski and snowboard club, trainer, orthopedist and therapist is a unique privilege for athletes in the Vail Valley.
Competitions are intense for athletes, such as
In the unfortunate case of an injury, a customized plan is made for each athlete that takes them from diagnosis to complete recovery as quickly as possible. The treatment team assesses how much training time the athlete needs before returning to snow, the strength and conditioning work needed to restore safe, normal movement and how to maintain cardiovascular fitness and strength without
“Nothing can halt a budding career in its tracks quite like missing quality development and training time due to injury,” says Howard Head’s Luke O’Brien, physical therapist and vice president of Howard Head Sports Medicine.
“We tailor individualized treatment plans that address all of the athlete’s performance needs and not just their injury. We have them returning to snow fitter and stronger than before the injury.”
Suicide prevention is rooted in communication, openness and recognition
or about 20 years , Molly Fiore struggled with thoughts of suicide. She floated from careers in marine biology and medicine to business and athletic training, but nothing seemed to fit. Then she reached a crisis, where death seemed to be the only answer. She felt that no one understood her pain. But as it turns out, she’s not alone.
From 2007-2011 in Eagle County, there were 37 suicides and 60 hospitalizations due to attempts.
About 8.3 million adults in the United States — 3.7 percent — reported having suicidal thoughts within the past 12 months in a 2009 study by the Center for Disease Control. About 1 percent of the adult population made suicide plans within that year, and half of those attempted suicide. Residents in the Rocky Mountain region statistically have higher occurrences of suicide, according to the American Association of Suicidology. At the moment of Fiore’s biggest crisis, she surrendered, and a new thought entered her mind: “What if I live my life for myself — give myself permission to live my life how I want?” she asked herself. Now, she’s an author, motivational speaker and the executive director of Eagle Valley’s suicide prevention coalition, Speak Up, Reach Out. While many people fear talking about sui-
by KIMBERLY NICOLETTI
cide, especially to someone who is actively suicidal, the fact is that talking about suicide can not only reduce the stigma it currently carries, but also, it can save lives. Open communication increases the chance that a person at risk for suicide will ask for help.
“If there’s one antidote to suicide, maybe, it’s hope,” Fiore said. “It’s hope, whether it’s sharing a personal story of overcoming suicidal ideation or holding on to the hope for them until they’re able to overcome it themselves.”
The key is to listen to a person’s pain with compassion. Sometimes, people don’t understand the level of despair people who contemplate suicide are experiencing, and they believe a person is just being selfish or seeking attention — especially if the suicidal ideation (the act of putting thoughts into words) is ongoing. But Don Bissett, a licensed professional counselor and social worker at Vail Valley Medical Center, believes “every instance of suicidal ideation is serious, whether it’s the first time or one of many times.” He hopes people will listen to others’ pain, and from there, come up with a safety and treatment plan with the help of a professional.
“When someone voices suicidal thoughts, they are often met with judgment, and that is exactly
Talks about wanting to die or to kill himself.
Looks for a way to kill herself, such as searching online or buying a gun.
Talks about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain.
Talks about being a burden to others.
Increases the use of alcohol or drugs.
Sleeps too little or too much.
Withdraws or becomes isolated.
Shows rage or talks about seeking revenge.
The yellow ribbon is an emblem for suicide awareness. "The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program" is a community based program primarily developed to address youth/ teen/young adult suicides (ages 10–25) through public awareness campaigns, education and training and by helping communities build capacity." The program began in September 1994 after the suicide of 17 year old Mike Emme.
A person might be considering suicide if he or she: . WHERE TO GET HELP..
Talks about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
Acts anxious or agitated; behaves recklessly.
Displays extreme mood swings.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.TALK (8255)
Denver Metro National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 888.885.1222
Speak Up, Reach Out: www.speakupreachout.org, 970.748.4410, info@speakupreachout.org (crisis line number is the same as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) Suicide Prevention Resource Center: www.sprc.org (same number as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
what they do not need … It is the psychological level of pain that motivates their suicide attempt. The problem is that they cannot bear the pain,” Bissett said. “When people speak with compassion and appreciation for the pain that leads to the suicidal thoughts, they are doing exactly the right thing.”
Many people consumed with suicidal thoughts don’t say anything because they fear medication or hospitalization. Not all people considering suicide need medication, as sometimes suicidal ideation has more to do with a temporary situation than a biochemical imbalance. And only in extreme cases are people hospitalized; many people with suicidal ideation can stay at home with a solid safety plan, which often includes securing weapons and medications, staying home with a loved one or caregiver and agreeing on a set amount of time to refrain from driving and consuming alcohol. Sobriety is often important in a safety plan because “a significant percentage of people are intoxicated when they complete their suicide plan,” Bissett said.
Speak Up, Reach Out teaches students and people in the community to ACT: Acknowledge, Care and Tell. Last year, trainers taught 1,200 middle- and high-school students to identify symptoms of depression and suicidality and encouraged kids to seek help through the use of ACT.
"When someone voices suicidal thoughts, they are often met with judgment, and that is exactly what they do not need.”
“If you have more eyes out in the community to spot the crises — the verbal and behavior cues … (then) we’re not losing people when they’re in crisis; we’re helping people when they get to that point,” Fiore said. “The (community) need is huge.”
Suicidal thoughts and attempts are significantly higher in young adults, ages 18-29 years, and suicide accounts for 20 percent of deaths for persons ages 15-24. The higher rates in young people involve their impulsivity and the fact that they don’t consider the permanent consequence of suicide, Bissett said.
“I often say that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem,” he said. “They will get through this; they may just not know how — how to navigate the crisis ahead. But with support and the right plan, they can get through it.”
Fiore has found this to be true. Even though thoughts of suicide still pop up, she no longer takes them seriously or beats herself up for having them. She describes her thoughts like a train station: all kinds of trains go through, but that doesn’t mean she has to ride every one.
“I realize, ‘Oh, it’s just a thought,’ and I don’t have to give my thoughts so much weight or meaning — or make (myself) wrong for having them,” she said.
Instead, she continues to walk along and share her story, which, in turn, gives others the freedom to share theirs.
15.8%
Students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey.
12.8%
Students reported that they made a plan about how they would attempt suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey.
7.8%
Students reported that they had attempted suicide one or more times during the 12 months preceding the survey.
2.4%
Students reported that they had made a suicide attempt that resulted in an injury, poisoning, or an overdose that required medical attention.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND SUICIDE
In a 2011 nationally-representative sample of youth in grades 9-12
SUICIDE RATES BY AGE AND SEX
AGES 25-34
2 nd leading cause of death AGES 15-24
Suicide rates for FEMALES are highest for ages 45-54.
4 th leading cause of death
3 rd leading cause of death AGES 45-54
8 th leading cause of death
Suicide rates for MALES are highest for ages 75 and older.
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics doctors utilize new-and-improved techniques to give patients better options — and better results
it was january of what 38-yearold Brian Kruse calls the “big snow year of 2010” when he hit a patch of solid snow while skiing on Vail Mountain and was thrown violently forward. Since he didn’t come out of his ski, he wasn’t sure what happened, but he knew it was bad.
As soon as he got home, he called Vail-Summit Orthopaedics to make an appointment. “I was not familiar with Dr. John Paul Elton, but I’ve always used Vail-Summit Orthopaedics for ski injuries so that’s why I called,” recalls Brian.
Dr. Elton is a Harvard-trained foot and ankle specialist who joined VailSummit Orthopaedics in 2010 after
by KAREN MASON
completing his Fellowship Training at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He told Brian he had ruptured his Achilles tendon and discussed operative and non-operative treatment options. Brian elected to have the rupture repaired, which can require a long recovery period.
“Then he started explaining what he was going to do by literally pulling out a pen and drawing on the paper I was sitting on,” recalls Brian.
Dr. Elton is one of the few foot and ankle surgeons in the United States utilizing a new procedure to repair Achilles ruptures using a minimally invasive technique. He published a paper on the topic for the American Ortho-
paedic Foot & Ankle Society in 2010. Dr. Elton says the new technique has been shown to have equivalent outcomes with less risk of wound or infection problems than with older techniques. His preference is to repair all Achilles ruptures with this technique, but says a minority of ruptures are not amenable to this technique for one reason or another.
“At the time, I didn’t know all he did was ankles,” says Brian. “Once I started asking around, I learned he is the 'goto guy' for anything to do with feet and ankles. His humbleness and simplicity in explaining things comforted me.”
The older method of treating Achilles ruptures was to either place the patient’s leg in a cast to immobilize the ruptured tendon, or use a very large incision on the back of the leg. The cast does not allow motion at the ankle and Brian says that’s exactly the opposite of what Dr. Elton wanted him to do. “He wanted me to get my range of motion back as soon as possible.”
The minimally invasive or limited open approach to repairing the tendon requires a small incision on the back of the leg overlying the rupture that is just large enough to put the tendon ends back together and repair it with strong sutures in the tendon. The patient is placed in a splint for about 10 days, then
a removable boot so they can start walking on it and moving the ankle. Since it was such a great snow year, Brian was determined to get back on the slopes one more time before the end of the season. Three months after his surgery, his 5-year-old niece came out. Brian skied the bunny slope with her. “My surgery made it possible for me to ski with my niece for her very first time, which was cool.”
Today, Brian is 100 percent. And when he’s on skis or doing anything athletic, he says he can’t tell which Achilles was ruptured.
active person, the decision to go ahead with surgery is fairly simple,” says Dr. Dorf. “But with partial tears, the decision process is more complicated. Do you give it time and let it come all the way to failure? Or do you choose to be aggressive and fix it right away?”
But now a new surgical technique being utilized by some surgeons, including Dr. Dorf, is starting to change that. “I have started using what’s called a ‘trans cuff’ technique,” says Dr. Dorf. “Instead of operating on the rotator cuff from above and completing the tear, I can now look at the part of the
The new technique is making the decision to have surgery that much easier for active people suffering from a partial tear
a better way to repair partially torn rotator cuffs
“The shoulder business is more elective surgery here in ski country,” remarks Dr. Erik Dorf, an upper extremity specialist with VailSummit Orthopaedics. “In the fall and the spring, I typically see two to three rotator cuff tears per week. In the winter, less people want to have shoulder surgery so they often wait until the end of the season to have these injuries evaluated.”
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons that stabilize and rotate the shoulder. Eighty percent of the rotator cuff tears Dr. Dorf sees are degenerative. His typical rotator cuff injury patient is middle aged or older and leads a very active lifestyle.
Dr. Dorf explains that as you get older, the blood supply to these tendons decreases, leaving them more susceptible to degenerative tearing. Rotator cuff tears come in many varieties. “Most often, a rotator cuff tear begins slowly and will continue to tear further with continual use. Sometimes patients come to see me right away with a partial tear; other times they wait and don’t see me until they have a complete tear.”
In the past, surgeons have repaired a partially torn rotator cuff by operating from above the cuff and actually completing the tear during surgery and then repairing it as though it was a complete tear. Because the surgery was for the most part the same whether you had a partial or full thickness tear, deciding whether or not to operate on a partial tear was difficult. “When you have a complete tear in an
cuff that is torn from underneath, put anchors in it from that underneath location, and repair just the tear itself. The technique allows the fibers that are still there to remain attached. We are now repairing just the part of the cuff that was torn.”
Dr. Dorf says the new technique is making the decision to have surgery that much easier for active people suffering from a partial tear. “What it means for patients is a shorter recovery time, an equally good outcome, and an earlier return to sports and activities.” He adds that it also expedites physical therapy.
“We can get them into therapy that much sooner and be that more aggressive with their rehab program,” he says. “The real advantage is that patients can be more aggressive with their decision to have surgery and stop the progression of the tear so that we’re not dealing with a full thickness tear down the road. It’s a nice middle ground.”
doctors of vailsummit orthopaedics
The doctors at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics believe that every patient deserves the best possible outcome. That’s why they’ve obtained the highest possible training for their specialty, going over and beyond what is required of a general orthopaedist. The staff also goes the extra mile to make sure patients spend more time with doctors, and less time waiting for them. This allows physicians to customize a treatment plan that fits the way patients want to live, work and play. VSO believes the best medicine is practiced at that place where doctor and patient connect with each other in a meaningful way.
Your best outcome is ensured by a fully-integrated team approach at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics. Each physician works closely with a licensed Physician Assistant (PA) to provide patients with a seamless continuity of care. The relationship between a physician and PA is built on trust and mutual respect and helps create a culture of patient service that Vail-Summit Orthopaedics is known for. In addition to their sub-specialties, each physician also specializes in orthopaedic trauma.
Dr. Paul Abbott speciality : Shoulder, Sports Medicine
Dr. Rick Cunningham speciality : ACL, Knee & Shoulder, Partial & Total Knee Replacement
Dr. Erik Dorf speciality : Hand & Upper Extremity, Sports Medicine
Dr. John Paul Elton speciality : Foot & Ankle
Dr. Peter Janes speciality : Hand, Wrist & Knee
Dr. Terrell Joseph speciality : Hand & Upper Extremity, Knee Surgery
Dr. Scott Raub speciality : Spine Care, Electrodiagnostic Testing
Dr. William Sterett speciality : Knee & Shoulder, Joint Preservation
When misfortune strikes, you can make things better
BY SCOTT N. MILLER // PHOTOS DOMINIQUE TAYLOR
it ’ s all fun and games until someone pokes out an eye — or breaks a leg, hits a tree, trips over the cat, falls off a cliff… you get the idea. Accidents happen. When you’re the first person to show up after some mishap or other, you can make a big difference: You can help.
Dr. Gayle Braunholtz is a partner in the Vail Valley Emergency Physician Group, which staffs the emergency department at Vail Valley Medical Center. She's also the medical director of Gypsum Urgent Care. It's safe to say she knows a thing or two about injuries and sudden threats to a person’s well being.
At the top of the list, of course, is "call 911." The sooner an ambulance crew is on the way, the better. Of course, there are times when seconds count and help is minutes away — and that’s where you come in. Here’s Braunholtz’s advice about what to do when you’ve got an injured person on your hands.
For a badly bleeding area, apply direct pressure over the wound. That should at least slow the bleeding enough until help arrives. "Don't release pressure to check if the wound has stopped bleeding," she says.
A tourniquet — a tightly wrapped bandage that stops all circulation between the wound and the heart — "should be reserved for a life-over-limb scenario," she says. "A properly applied tourniquet becomes excruciatingly painful within 15 to 20 minutes, and should be left to professionals whenever possible.”
With broken bones, the best way to assist is by helping someone stay still and as comfortable as possible.
Braunholtz notes that broken bones have sharp edges that can poke through the skin, or worse — sever an artery or nerve. A makeshift splint can help stabilize a broken bone. While moving a broken-bone patient as little as possible is always advisable, there are exceptions — if someone is head-down in a tree well, or in the middle of a road, moving to safety is a good first step.
With burns, cold water is always a good idea. If a burn has broken the skin, try to find antibiotic ointment, since burns can become infected. Seeking medical help is advisable for any burn that completely circles an area — all the way around an arm, for instance — or any burn bigger than the palm of your hand.
Concussions are a bit different, because the symptoms aren't always outwardly obvious. Braunholtz says any time someone hits his or her head in a fall or other accident, there's always a risk of concussion. Symptoms may not appear right away, but can include headache, nausea, blurred vision, decreased concentration or memory loss.
If you develop any of these conditions after hitting your head, Braunholtz's advice is to seek medical attention. "Concussions should not be taken lightly," she explains. "These symptoms indicate that your brain was rattled. It needs time to recover."
If you're skiing or biking, that means avoiding the risk of further falls for at least one to two weeks after being symptom-free. The consequences of a second injury can be dire: "A second injury too soon after a first injury can lead to second impact syndrome. Symptoms might include chronic headaches, cognition problems, and, in some instances, even permanent disability or death."
A stroke — the sudden loss of blood to the brain — can be a bit like a concussion, in that the symptoms aren't immediately apparent. But with strokes, the quicker someone gets help, the better.
There are any number of stroke symptoms, including garbled speech and numbness on one side of the body.
Braunholtz says the "Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale is a quick and easy way to screen someone for signs of stroke."
opposite: When dealing with broken bones, you can improvise a makeshift splint (as with a belt and stick) to immobilize the injured area.
WHEN A PERSON becomes unconscious, death is not necessarily imminent. Place them in the recovery position to help boost their chances of survival:
1 Place the patient on their side or three quarters prone so that the mouth is down (allowing for secretions to drain out) and chin is up (keeping the airway open).
2 Limbs should be positioned to keep the patient in place. For example, the leg and arm not touching the ground is moved forward to act as a "kickstand" to keep the patient from laying completely face down on the ground.
STROKE TEST INCLUDES:
Ask the person to smile and show his or her teeth.
Have the person close his eyes and hold his hands palms up and outstretched in front of him.
Ask the person to say, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
The smile should be symmetric, the arms shouldn't drift down and the patient shouldn't have difficulty with this phrase. If all three signs are abnormal the chance of the person having a stroke is greater than 85 percent.
Again, call 911 immediately, make the person comfortable and get the person to a hospital as quickly as possible. If a person qualifies for the clot busting medicine “tPA” then the sooner they get it the better.
Which leads us to the toughest of all emergencies — sudden cardiac arrest. If someone collapses in front of you, check for consciousness and call 911. If there is any chance that they are breathing, place them in the recovery position. This will protect their airway while they are unconscious. Thousands of fatalities occur every year in cases where the cause of the unconsciousness was not fatal but airway obstruction led to suffocation. See box for info on the recovery position.
Many public and private buildings have "automated external defibrillators," or devices that will shock a person's heart back to action. If one of those isn't available, there's the age-old standby — cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Classes are available for free through Starting Hearts (www. startinghearts.com). A basic class takes three to four hours and could save a life.
Screen someone who might have had a stroke with the Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale.
Steadman Philippon Research Institute launches community education initiative
ealizing that the next generation of scientists, teachers and physicians resides in our own communities, the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) has created the Education and Public Outreach Committee (EPOC) in partnership with the Eagle County School District, Vail Mountain School and Vail Christian Academy. EPOC’s mission is to inspire and introduce the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-oriented fields to elementary, middle and
high school students. The curriculum is directed by the scientists and physicians of SPRI, and the centerpiece of activity is the world-class research labs located at Vail Valley Medical Center.
The team of scientists offers laboratory tours, scientific presentations, mentoring of student projects, involvement in school science fairs, and internships. “Having world-class research scientists as a sounding board really gives students a sense of validation and pride,” said Gabe Scherzer, a Vail Mountain School science teacher.
THE THREE-TIERED PROGRAM INCLUDES:
Tours of the SPRI Laboratories by fifth graders.
School visits by SPRI staff scientists while students are in sixth, seventh and eighth grades, including science fairs, classroom or assembly lectures and support for science-related projects such as robotics competitions.
Invitations for high school students to join the SPRI Science Club. Members will have an opportunity to meet physicians and scientists, attend an orthopaedics lecture series and participate in research projects. They will also receive a SPRI Science Club T-shirt as a member gift.
Since 2011, the EPOC program has provided lab tours for fifth through twelfth grade Eagle County School District and Vail Mountain School students, mentored middle school science fairs, lectured at school assemblies and provided two summer high school student internships.
According to Coen A. Wijdicks, Ph.D., director of the Department of BioMedical Engineering, “Our young scientists hold the key to the future. These experiences allow students to exercise the resources they learn in their science classes and apply scientific methods and techniques to various topics and experiments. It is very rewarding mentoring the students and working with them on ways to better understand the dynamics behind producing an authentic experiment.”
Our young scientists hold the key to the future.”
Through the Steadman Philippon Research Institute's program, local students are exposed to technology, mathematics, engineering and science.
opposite: The Education and Public Outreach Committee starts working with kids when they are in elementary school, and continues through high school to inspire and introduce science.
Marc J. Philippon, MD speciality : Hip
Randy W. Viola, MD speciality : Hand, Wrist & Elbow
Donald S. Corenman, MD, DC speciality : Spine & Neck
Tom Hackett, MD speciality : Knee, Shoulder & Elbow
Peter J. Millett, MD, MSc speciality : Shoulder & Elbow
David C. Karli, MD speciality : Spine & Neck
Thomas O. Clanton, MD speciality : Foot, Ankle & Knee
Rob LaPrade, MD, PhD speciality : Knee
Thos Evans, MD speciality : Interventional Pain Specialist
Steven Singleton, MD speciality : Knee and Sports Medicine
Leader, innovator and mentor Dr. J. Richard Steadman retires from surgical practice this year
t ' s one thing to make a name for yourself in the medical field, but it's entirely another to create an unforgettable impact. Such is the case with Dr. J. Richard Steadman, a pioneer in the field of orthopaedic surgery. Steadman retired from his surgical practice this year, leaving behind him an unprecedented number of surgical innovations. Originally from Texas, Steadman began his practice in 1970 in South Lake Tahoe, California. In 1988 he founded the Steadman Sports Medicine Research Foundation. Two years later Steadman moved his practice to Vail and together with Dr. Richard Hawkins created the Steadman Hawkins Clinic. In 2004 Hawkins left the area and the practice was renamed The Steadman Clinic. In 2005 Dr. Marc J. Philippon joined on and the research institute became the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI). Following Steadman's retirement, both facilities will maintain his name in his honor and he will stay on as chairman emeritus at The Steadman Clinic and remain co-chairman of SPRI. Steadman first gained international recognition through revolutionizing post-surgical rehabilitation. He created techniques that
by ROSANNA TURNER
shortened and strengthened the healing process and he developed a procedure called "microfracture," which repairs damaged cartilage. Later in his career he was still on the forefront of surgical research with his technique known as the "package," which restores normal movement to stiff arthritic knees.
Through his work, Steadman helped many athletes get to the top of the podium. In 1976 Steadman treated women's downhill skier Cindy Nelson, who won bronze in that year's Olympic Games. In 1979 he treated Olympic ski racer Phil Mahre, who went on to win a silver and gold in the slalom. He treated elite athletes for decades and served as U.S. Alpine Chief Physician at the Winter Olympics from 1976-2006. Many athletes say they owe their careers to Steadman, for without his progress in both surgery and rehabilitation, they might not have been able to return to their sport after a serious injury.
Although world-class athletes have been some of his most publicized patients, Steadman also improved the lives of many patients locally. One of Steadman's goals was to help non-athletes stay active longer, and he treated over 12,000 patients during his time in Vail. To him this was just as rewarding as seeing a pro athlete be able to compete again. Through his leadership, Steadman brought international acclaim to not only The Steadman Clinic and SPRI but also helped elevate Vail Valley Medical Center as a destination for high-quality surgical treatment.
LOOKING BACK ON DR. STEADMAN'S CAREER & INFLUENCE REFLECTIONS
As Dr. Steadman retired in 2014, his former patients are encouraged to follow-up with other Steadman Clinic knee experts: Dr. Steve Singleton, Dr. Tom Hackett or Dr. Robert LaPrade.
"For years, he has been a pioneer in the world of sports medicine. He retired from his surgical practice, but his groundbreaking contributions in sports medicine will continue forever," said Dr. Marc J. Philippon, managing partner of The Steadman Clinic.
Steadman's name has become synonymous with knee surgery but he was also a role model in the truest sense. He showed his patients, colleagues, and those he mentored that the best care is a result of compassion and a deep desire to push the limits of what's possible for patients after major surgery.
Dr. Steadman improved the lives of so many during his career and left a legacy of a top-notch clinic that will continue his quest to treat patients from all walks of life.
A generation of professional athletes and grateful patients owe their livelihood and mobility to his successful, pioneering and exceptional delivery of innovative orthopaedic healthcare.
, DIRECTOR FOR THE CENTER FOR OUTCOMESBASED ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH AT SPRI
Dr. Steadman has been a mentor and inspiration to me for the last 20 years. An amazing surgeon, his real secret has been the way he listens to and cares for his patients.
PETER J. MILLETT, MD, MSC, DIRECTOR OF SHOULDER SURGERY, THE STEADMAN CLINIC In 1993 Dr. Steadman first told me that how the patient feels is the most important outcome of the surgery. He listens and learns from every patient.
fter practicing medicine in Detroit for 20-plus years, Dr. Pamela Bock moved to Vail in 2008. An expert in women’s health, infertility and adolescent gynecology, one of her favorite moments over the course of her job is delivering babies. Below, she answers questions from expecting mothers.
QI was out of shape when I got pregnant, and I spent most of the first trimester feeling miserable. Now that I'm feeling a little bit better, what sort of activities can I engage in to get myself back into shape?
AWe recommend that people start gradually, sometimes just 10 to 15 minutes a day. You want to work up to 30 minutes at least 5 times a week, if not every day. That’s a good thing to aim for, and start slowly. A lot of people ask about the heart rate. If you can talk comfortably while you’re doing your exercise, then that’s good. Walking is underrated. It’s something women can do throughout their pregnancy. Swimming, it’s very soothing because you have the buoyancy. If you’re already a runner, you can run. But pregnancy is not the time to start to learn how to run.
Light weight lifting is fine, but we don’t like you to do anything too strenuous on your back in the second and third trimesters. Pilates and yoga are good, too. There are a lot of benefits for women who stay active: They have shorter labors, and they tend to tolerate the labor better as well as keep up with the demands of the pregnancy. Listen to your body, and make sure you consider hydration and sunblock.
QWhat is the best thing or things I could be doing for myself and my baby while I'm pregnant?
ANutrition is the big one — eat well. Get enough fiber, fruits and vegetables. Also, get enough rest. Exercise. And social support: The dad or partner being involved is always very positive.
Q Are there any challenges specific to Vail's altitude when it comes to being pregnant and giving birth?
AOn the plus side: living at this altitude, most women are pretty healthy and into active sports. We have a healthy population. There are some studies that say babies at a higher altitude are a lower birth rate, but the bottom line for me is patients are active and healthy. They’re very much a part of the pregnancy and are very, very invested in it, more than I’ve seen in other communities. On the down side, we do have to caution people on how active they can be. We counsel people as far as skiing or snowboarding, to avoid that. They might not only hurt themselves, but also hurt the baby.
As for the challenges, because
we are higher, we’re prone to dehydration. And we need more sun protection, too, especially during pregnancy due to the hormones that create a mask of pigmentation.
QIt's hard to navigate all of the information out there and know what's a good source and what isn't. Are there any online or book sources for general pregnancy info that you recommend?
AWe give women "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and I also like the Mayo Clinic's "Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy." Another one is “The Mother of All Pregnancy Books.” And as far as websites, the Mayo Clinic has a good and reliable women’s health section, as does the National Institute of Health. But, if you’re a patient with Colorado Mountain Medical, you can sign up for the Patient Portal. It enables you to message your doctor directly. If you’re my patient and you have a question, you can just send it to me, I pick up the message and respond to it, say perhaps that it’s nothing to worry about, or you should come in. So many times people sit home and wonder, “Should I call or shouldn’t I?” My advice is, when you’re asking that question, the answer is you should. The Patient Portal gives you a way to do that without leaving a message with a nurse.
QI have visions of giving birth without having any pain medications, but I don't know how realistic it is. What do you suggest a woman consider when making this decision?
AGiving birth is like taking a road trip: You know where you’re headed, but you don’t know what’s going to happen along the way. Birthing plans are great and you can investigate what you’re interested in, but it concerns me when someone is very rigid one way or the other. You can have a guideline, but be flexible. You just never know, and the endpoint is a healthy mom and healthy baby.
There are lots of options for pain management. We have IV meds that can be given, which help with the pain. And an epidural, which is administered in the spine, will make it so you don’t feel the contractions.
One of our practitioners does hypnobirths, which is more like guided imagery, and people use that as a management for their pain. Also, there are the Bradley and Lamaze methods, which are more holistic approaches. And sometimes doulas come to the hospital with patients, and help coach them, educate them on the transitions. I love it when a doula is a part of the situation, because they’re experienced and can be very helpful.
Q How well equipped is the VVMC Women and Children’s Center?
A It’s very nice. They are all private rooms, so you can labor, deliver and recover in the private rooms. We have all the modern conveniences to keep you comfortable, plus 5 doctors who work in obstetric care. It used to be, you had to be 37 weeks — what we consider full term — to give birth in Vail. But our neonatal center can handle births from 34 weeks and beyond. That was a big step, to have that kind of backup.
A simple procedure can produce big payoffs for those suffering from acid reflux
BY KIMBERLY NICOLETTI // PHOTOS ANTHONY THORNTON
“ we ’ d just finished climbing at the rec center in Gypsum,” Jeff Shroll remembers. “I was beating on my chest, complaining about the acid reflux that I’d had for a decade or more. He looked at me and said, ‘I can fix that.’ I said, ‘I’m listening.’”
“He” was Dr. Barry Hammaker. The fix was an elective surgery called laparoscopic fundoplication and it changed Jeff Shroll’s life.
Jeff is an active, busy guy. Originally from Grand Junction, he made his way to Gypsum from Crested Butte and has been the town manager for 20 years. He has coached track at Eagle Valley High School for 17 seasons, enjoys running, climbing, skiing, lifting weights, fly fishing, hunting and is determined to bag all of Colorado’s 14ers.
However, his gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), better known as acid reflux, was hampering his ability to do the things he loved.
“Running, weight lifting — really during any kind of cardio workout, that acid reflux would kick up,” Jeff says. “My stomach gets to going and that stuff comes back up and it would
cause problems. Or if it was a good powder day and I was skiing really hard, I’d get down to the bottom of a great run and I’d feel terrible. “I hated that chest burning. I just hated it.” The “chest burning” is heartburn, which is a symptom of acid reflux. Here’s what happens: at the entrance to the stomach, at the bottom of the esophagus, is a valve. This valve usually closes as soon as food passes through. If it doesn’t, or if it opens too often, acid produced by the stomach can splash up into the esophagu — heartburn. Acid reflux disease is when this painful burning happens more than twice a week.
Acid reflux doesn’t occur just during physical exertion. Stress can aggravate the condition and it can affect sleep, too.
“It’s all tied together,” Jeff explains. “Stress is a part of life, but I also have a stressful job. When you have a stressful job, you need a good night’s sleep, but you can’t get a
good night’s sleep because of acid reflux.”
Another way to release stress is by exercising, but acid reflux can be aggravated by physical exertion, creating a lose-lose cycle for Jeff.
So when Dr. Hammaker said he might be able to fix Jeff’s acid reflux, Jeff was ready to listen.
“Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common problem and there are ways to address acid reflux with dietary and lifestyle modifications,” says Dr. Hammaker, a surgeon at Mountain Surgical Associates at Vail Valley Medical Center. “Things like losing weight, avoiding an excess of caffeine and alcohol, avoiding large meals and not eating right before bedtime. We often recommend lifestyle modifications either before or in conjunction with medicine to see what kind of improvement you can get.”
Most people with standard acid reflux do not need surgery. For many people who have acid reflux or indigestion, taking a pill like Nexium or Prilosec once or twice a day controls the problem and produces results. However, medication doesn’t work for everyone.
Once all of the tests and studies are completed and the final diagnosis is acid reflux disease, then laparoscopic fundoplication might be the next step. An elective surgery, laparoscopic fundoplication is a procedure that recreates the valve between the esophagus and stomach. It’s generally accompanied with an overnight stay in the hospital, followed by diet limitations for 30 to 90 days after surgery. A relatively new procedure, the end result is a repaired valve that’s not too loose and not too tight, allowing food to travel to the stomach but preventing acid from splashing into the esophagus.
If I had known about this years ago, I would have stood in line.”
“When medicine isn’t working, you need to have a proper evaluation to make sure that there’s not something else going on that’s much more serious, like cancer,” says Dr. Hammaker. “We’ll take a detailed history, find out what treatments have worked and what has failed. We’ll do a lot of diagnostic testing, like an upper endoscopy, a pH study; we’ll have a look around, maybe do a biopsy of the esophagus, all to make sure that it’s acid reflux.”
Jeff underwent laparoscopic fundoplication in December 2009 and is enjoying life in a way that he couldn’t before the surgery. He’s eating what he wants, when he wants and is pursuing his outdoor passions with vigor.
“I had a hard time doing 14ers back then (before the surgery). I’d get my heart rate up and the lack of oxygen would aggravate it,” says Jeff. “It has been way helpful — it’s easier running up and down peaks without acid reflux.”
Jeff has crossed 45 peaks off of his list so far.
“I’ve joked with Dr. Hammaker, ‘why didn’t I climb with you 10 years earlier to find out about this procedure?’” Jeff says. “If I had known about this years ago, I would have stood in line. This procedure really provided relief and was a great help for me; I know it could do the same for others.
“He’s the guy that does the real thing. I’m just a happy patient.”
MOUNTAIN SURGICAL Associates (MSA) is home to some of the most respected surgeons in Colorado. Specializing in emergency and trauma case, they are also experts in:
GENERAL SURGERY: abdominal, thoracic and endocrine
LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY: hernia repair, gall bladder, colon and reflux disease
CANCER SURGERY: breast, colon and rectal, endocrine, lung and melanoma
TRAUMA/CRITICAL CARE: around-the-clock diagnostic and care for critically ill and injured patients
WOUND AND OSTOMY: treatment of acute and chronic wounds
The team at MSA, consists of:
SUE ARFORD, RN
DR. JAMES DOWNEY
DR. REGINALD FRANCIOSE
DR. BARRY HAMMAKER
JASON MOORE, PH.D, PA
DR. JOHN SCHULTZ
Since his surgery, Jeff Shroll works out several times a week without suffering the consequences of acid reflux.
When you’re talking beauty and cosmetic regimens, it turns out most things do…
e know there ’ s no substitute for inner beauty. But when it comes to the external variety, women are well schooled in the “no pain, no gain” philosophy. Whether it’s huffing and puffing through a spin class or seeing stars during a bikini wax, beauty takes work. And no small amount of practice, either.
So why do so many women put off or avoid getting potentially life-saving mammograms? Discomfort? Awkwardness?
Last year, breast cancer survivor Geralyn Lucas visited Vail as the featured speaker at the Vail Breast Cancer Awareness Group’s 19th annual Celebration of Life luncheon, and she asked that very question. At 27, Lucas found a lump during a breast self-exam — earlier than most would expect. "I thought I had to be 40 or my mom
by Kim Fuller
had to have breast cancer. I was wrong," Geralyn says. Eighteen years down the road, Lucas is committed to spreading awareness about the importance of early detection. She teamed up with ABC News’ Sara Haines with an inspired idea: On camera, the duo wandered through New York City subjecting themselves to various activities in the name of beauty, and compared them to the pain and discomfort of getting a mammogram.
Such a good story inspired a local version. Local veterinary technician Cathy Wetzel has two sisters-inlaw who have fought breast cancer. Both are survivors, due in part to early detection. Her paternal grandmother had a double mastectomy in the early 1980s, so she has a personal interest in the message. She volunteered to help recreate the story, and photographer Dominique Taylor caught it all with her camera. The upshot? As far as pain goes, mammograms don’t have anything on high heels. »
PAIN LEVEL 5 AFTER 5 HOURS, AND THEN UNBEARABLE
A vet tech at Vail Valley Animal Hospital, Wetzel doesn’t wear heels at work. She has to move quickly and efficiently on a semi-slick floor, so they don’t make sense for her. But in the spirit of taking one for the team, she gave it a go. She chose a pair about three inches high with a thin heel. "It makes everything feel out of line and miserable,” she says. “It hurt during the day, but at night I went home and I ended up getting cramps in my feet." After her lunch break, she couldn’t bear to wear them anymore. “It sucked,” she says. “I won't lie, it wasn't fun. "
PAIN LEVEL 1-2
At the acupuncturist, Wetzel had needles inserted into her face, her arms and down the right side of her body in hopes of triggering some healing in the neck, elbows and shoulders. "I have had acupuncture before and some of the needles really hurt when they put them in, but usually they only hurt for like 20 or 30 seconds,” she says. “You can still feel them but they don't hurt anymore.” Wetzel loves the relaxed feeling post-acupuncture, so she doesn’t mind the mild sting of the needles.
PAIN LEVEL 3.5
Though it’s nothing like a bikini wax, eyebrow waxing is still no picnic. "It's so quick,” Wetzel says. “If it was something that you would have to sit and put up with for more than five minutes at a time, then it would be bad.” The procedure might have been fast, but the recovery took a little longer. “I was all red and puffy for the next five hours at work, so it was kind of funny,” she says.
PAIN LEVEL 4
Wetzel trucked down to Glenwood Springs for her first tattoo. She showed up with a picture of what she wanted. It ended up different than what she thought it would be, but she likes it a lot. "It was really quick,” she says. “He got it done in less than an hour…and that would be probably a 4 on the pain scale — not terrible. There are certain parts that hurt more, like when he was doing the coloring in, which hurt more than the outline. It's a sharp hurt, similar to bee stings, but a bunch of them." Wetzel’s grandparents were apple farmers with 1,000 acres of orchard, and her mother, who passed away 2 years ago, had a house filled with apples. They were surrounded by apples, and ate them every day. “So it's an apple at the top and it comes down like a heart,” she says about the tattoo. “I really like it.”
Wetzel is in her 40s, and she does self-breast exams often and gets mammograms routinely. To date, she’s had five. “I would so much rather hear the bad news earlier, rather than later,” says Cathy. “Hopefully I will never have to hear the bad news, but it’s so common; there are a lot of women who I know in the valley who have or have had breast cancer.” Most mammograms take about 15 minutes to complete, though the uncomfortable part is much faster. "It's a squeezing … they do it very quickly,” she says. “You’re standing there for maybe a minute or two and getting squeezed, but it's not bad." Wetzel likes the atmosphere at the Shaw. “The technicians are great, and will talk about anything to make you not think about having your boob squeezed,” she says.
The Shaw Regional Cancer Center’s Sonnenalp Breast Center now offers 3D Mammography
MAMMOGRAPHY takes images of breasts in a way that is similar to a CT (computed tomography) scan. Instead of a static image, the 3D mammo takes images of the breasts in “slices” (think loaf of bread), so radiologists have more information.
“Like the pages of a book, every page has more info on it,” says Colleen Berga, manager of the Sonnenalp Breast Center. “Having this technology reduces our rate of callbacks for additional testing, and increases detectability rates.”
Shaw adheres to the American Cancer Society guidelines for mammography, and recommends that women start mammo screenings at age 40, and every year thereafter.
If you have a strong family history of cancer and/or breast cancer, you should start screening 10 years earlier than the age a family member was diagnosed (if you mother was diagnosed at 40, start your screening at 30).
Also, see your physician if you have breast concerns, or feel a lump, experience nipple discharge, skin appearance or texture change and/or unilateral breast pain.
Right now, mammography is the “gold standard” for breast imaging, Berga says, at about 85 percent detection sensitive. If mammography is combined with breast ultrasounds, the sensitivity increases to 90 to 95 percent.
To schedule an appointment for a mammogram, call the Sonnenalp Breast Center at (970) 569-7690. Berga said to see your primary care physician prior to getting a clinical breast exam, to determine what type of screening to schedule.
For more information, visit www.shawcancercenter.com.
VAIL MEDICAL TEAM SHARES REWARDS AND CHALLENGES OF THEIR INTENSIVE VOLUNTEER TRIP
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
ome people vacation at the beach; others spend their time engaged in something more goal-oriented and charitable. Last September, six members of the Vail Valley Medical Center staff opted to donate four weeks of their personal time off and traveled to Tanzania to share their expertise. Dr. Kent Petrie, Jaime Paulus, Jane Brandes, Lindsey Bischoff, Rachel Connealy and Sarah Connealy helped the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME), Haydom Lutheran Hospital and Rift Valley Children’s Village. “I have always been interested in other cultures and third world healthcare,” says Brandes. “The disparity that exists in the developing world, especially with health, is of great concern to me.” Brandes, a VVMC nurse and her husband, Peter, a paramedic, have a history in Africa. The couple moved there to work at Haydom Lutheran Hospital for a full year in 2001 with their then 7 and 9-year-old children. The couple has forged many close friendships in the community, so they’ve returned again and again.
The Haydom hospital is largely supported by the Norwegian Lutheran Mission, which is facing the possibility of pulling its funding in 2015.
To donate or find out how to help keep the hospital in operation, visit www.lifewithoutcarelosinghaydomhospital.org
“Premature babies don't do well in Africa. There simply are not the medical resources, equipment or staff available to support their needs.”
The focus of this last trip was primarily Haydom’s hospital and its new maternity ward, where Dr. Petrie assisted with several deliveries, coaching nursing and medical staff and walking them through management of challenges such as post partum hemorrhage and newborn resuscitation.
Nestled in a village of closely packed shanties with holes for windows, the Haydom hospital and its 400 beds is by far the most developed building in the area, but by American standards the facility is extremely basic.
The maternity ward undertakes more than 5,000 deliveries annually. This number is particularly striking because, as Brandes points out, in Tanzania, most births still happen at home. In spite of its relative sophistication, the hospital reflects the ghastly health concerns rampant in this poverty-stricken country, a far cry from the scene of controlled illness and healing one is likely to witness at VVMC or any first world medical facility.
“The patients there are very ill and death is ever present. Infants and children die daily from things you would never see in this country,” Brandes says. “Oftentimes the women who come for delivery are already in trouble. They have labored at another even-more-remote facility and were then brought to Haydom. The same for infants. Some are brought in after a home delivery that didn't go well or they were born at a health dispensary far away and an ambulance — a Land Cruiser with a mattress in the back — brought them to the hospital. Premature births are common due to chronic malaria, poor nutrition, limited prenatal care and all the other problems of poverty. Premature babies don't do well in Africa. There simply are not the medical resources, equipment or staff available to support their needs.”
Given this reality, even after four weeks of nonstop work, the VVMC crew was still left with a biting sense of unfinished business.
Dr. Kent Petrie holds a healthy newborn in Haydom's new maternity ward.
opposite: The team from VVMC donated 4 weeks of personal time to the hospital and community of Haydom, Tanzania. Vero, a midwife, and Rachel Connealy attend a patient at Haydom Lutheran Hospital.
“I’m not sure one could ever accomplish everything they wanted in Haydom,” Paulus says.
One accomplishment Paulus, Bischoff and the Connealys achieved while in Tanzania was to make the acquaintance of a young local girl and sponsor her so she could attend school. The Brandeses plan to return to the country in 2016 — if not sooner — to attend their nursing friend Veronica’s graduation with a degree in midwifery.
Possibly the most rewarding aspect of the trip was the continuous flow of appreciation from the patients and staff at Haydom. The display of gratitude came after each successful delivery, educational presentation, equipment contribution or simply from a helping hand.
“The rewards are continuously present — a smile from a patient or family, a curtsy from an infant’s mother, children running up to us to hold our hands. The people there value western healthcare and treat us with great respect. The hospitality is like no other place I've ever been. The people are extremely kind and welcoming,” Brandes says.
Besides the heart-swelling sense of reward from such focused work in a community like Haydom, Dr. Petrie points out that such experiences lend an incredible perspective upon returning to first world medical care and general way of life.
“I appreciate our system of medical care when I come back from these trips,” Petrie says. “You see how the situation is in Tanzania and think, ‘How much do we really have to complain about?’”
Vail’s new endocrinology clinic diagnoses and treats thyroid disorders
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
you’re in your 20s and loving life. You ski, hike, bike and get outside to play in the mountains whenever possible. You eat healthily, don’t drink too much and get plenty of sleep. Yet you’re always tired, and you're gaining weight. It just doesn’t make sense.
Does any of this sound familiar? It could be your thyroid.
The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces a hormone affecting many organs in the body, including the heart, liver and muscles. If your thyroid is under producing — a condition called hypothyroidism — there are indeed symptoms, but they may take a while to present themselves. As Dr. Monique Manganelli puts it, “everything slows down.”
The symptoms may vary depending on the age of onset, the duration and severity of the deficiency. Some of the early symptoms may include general fatigue or cold intolerance. The hair may fall out or become coarse. The skin is often dry and rough. Due to this slowdown in metabolism, patients may gain some weight in spite of no dietary change. The bowels slow down and patients often complain of constipation. From a psychological standpoint, these patients may start to feel a little ‘blue’ or have clinical depression.
Sometimes it’s impossible to know exactly what is causing the thyroid to be underactive. It is not caused by your lifestyle or anything you are — or aren’t — doing. One of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is chronic autoimmune process.
“This is when you develop antibodies against your own thyroid. It’s genetic. It can just turn on … similar to when you develop antibodies when you get sick that work against bacteria, except this is working against your own tissue,” Manganelli says.
A mystery of genetics, women are eight times more likely than men to develop hypothyroidism and may have additional symptoms such as irregular menstruation or fertility difficulties while men may suffer from decreased libido or sexual function.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is hyperthyroidism — five times more likely to develop in women than men, in which there is an excess of thyroid hormone in the body. The most common cause is again an autoimmune process, this one called Graves' Disease. More common in younger women, Graves Disease is when your antibodies, rather than destroying the thyroid and causing it to under produce as in hypothyroidism, actually stimulate the gland. Less common causes for both hypo and hyper thyroid include thyroid inflammation, certain medications and excessive consumption of iodine. Symptoms of hyperthyroid are nearly the opposite of those of hypothyroid.
VVMC Endocrinology staff see a lot of hyperthyroidism and the symptoms are usually more dramatic. Patients are often very uncomfortable. They may feel very anxious, jumpy or jittery and they may be losing weight in spite of an increase in appetite. They may be very heat intolerant and perspiring a lot. They are just so hyper that their heart is racing and they may be very short of breath. They may also have muscle weakness, a decrease in stamina or insomnia as well.
Although thyroid disorders are not caused by lifestyle choices such as what you eat or how much exercise you get, it’s important to note that the active high elevation lifestyle shared by most Vail Valley residents and visitors can exacerbate the symptoms of thyroid disease.
“With hyperthyroid, you’re already working way too hard, so when you add altitude to it and exercise, you’re putting yourself at real risk,” Manganelli says. "We saw a patient the other week — a woman in her 20s — who came in to town to meet a friend. She collapsed while she was having dinner. She was discovered to be hyperthyroid and probably managed it in New York, but skiing and the elevation was too much. Those with hypothyroid are already fatigued and when they come up to this altitude, they may not become toxic like hyperthyroid patients, but they’re going to feel so much more fatigued. They’re going to have a hard time with exercise and stamina. It’s hard to overcome that. It’s hard on the body.”
It’s true that the thyroid needs iodine to function properly and in rare cases, excessive or deficient amounts of iodine can lead to hypo or hyperthyroid disease, but this is not com-
There is an excess of thyroid hormone in the body. Women are five times more likely than men to develop it.
Thyroids under-produce, making bodily systems slow down. Women are eight times more likely than men to develop it.
mon in the United States. The VVMC Endocrinology staff recommend that individuals aim for the Recommended Daily Allowance of iodine, perhaps slightly more for pregnant women.
Another natural substance, a trace mineral called selenium helps with thyroid health, but as far as treatment for thyroid disorders, there are no natural cures.
The only way to treat thyroid hormone deficiency is to replace it with a daily thyroid hormone pill. Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed by a physical exam, which may include an enlarged thyroid gland or goiter, in addition to a simple blood test. It may take a little time to find the right dose for the patient, but patients do start to feel significantly better.
Treating hyperthyroidism can be a little more difficult because the hormones that have already been over-produced cannot be removed. However, there are pills that can block future production of thyroid hormone or a one-time dose of radioactive iodine, which essentially destroys the thyroid gland. Surgery is sometimes used to treat it in rare situations.
If left untreated, hypothyroid patients will progressively feel more fatigued, may continue to gain weight and generally “feel lousy.” It takes a
long time for the thyroid hormone levels to become dangerously low.
Consequences can be much more serious if hyperthyroidism goes untreated. “Untreated hyperthyroidism can progress rapidly to a toxic state with complications that can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, shock or rarely death." Manganelli says.
No doctor is ever going to discourage a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, especially for patients with hypothyroid issues. As far as exercise for hyperthyroid patients, especially in a place like Vail where people have a tendency to be overactive, doctors have specific guidelines to make sure they’re not overdoing it.
For patients with hypothyroidism, the team at VVMC Endocrinology advise a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and exercise to maintain metabolism. With hyperthyroid patients, the body is already working out without them knowing. Once they have their thyroid under control they can work out, preferably with a trainer to establish a safe exercise program, to start to increase the muscle mass that may have been lost during their hyperthyroid state.
Learn more by calling VVMC Endocrinology at (970) 477-5160 or visit vvmc.com/endo
According to the National Endocrine Information Service …
4.6 percent of Americans have hypothyroidism and 1 percent has hyperthyroidism.
Different thyroid diseases occur at different ages.
Women are much more likely than men to develop hypo or hyperthyroidism and women 60 and older are at the most risk.
They are not caused (or cured) by diet or lifestyle.
Causes are often hard to identify but can be genetic, autoimmune-related, caused by surgery, radiation, exposure to iodine, pregnancy or certain types of medication.
Hypothyroidism is cured by a daily dose of thyroid hormone medication while hyperthyroidism is cured by daily thyroid hormone blocking medication, onetime radioactive iodine treatment or surgery.
If untreated, hypothyroidism can cause obesity, joint pain, infertility and hyperthyroidism can cause heart issues, strokes and even death.
If untreated during pregnancy, thyroid disorders increase the risk of miscarriage, pre-term delivery and may affect the baby’s growth and brain development.
When Dr. Matt Kamper tore his rotator cuff during a ski fall in December 2008, he didn’t just take a surgical approach to fixing it; he also self-prescribed a life-altering route.
BY KIMBERLY NICOLETTI
Dr. Matt Kamper is the eleventh person — and eldest — to ski all of Colorado’s Fourteeners. Pike's Peak, June, 2009.
Mount Harvard, February, 2010.
vail valley Medical Center emergency doc had grown up in Boulder, skiing and hiking Vail and Summit County’s mountains. He loves his work in Vail’s ER for the past 15 years, due to the overall environment both in and outside of work. However, one “minor” frustration nagged at him: Work kept him so busy, he didn’t have enough time to ski. Granted, he managed to squeeze in 40-50 days a season, but those “days” only consisted of an hour or so of precious turns eked in before his shifts began. “Summer would come, and I wasn’t done skiing,” Kamper says. His frustration reached a critical point in January 2009, when he spent eight weeks recovering from shoulder surgery. “I couldn’t do anything,” he says. “It drove me nuts … (but) I had a lot of time to think about things.” By the end of the eight weeks, not only had his shoulder healed, but also his one frustration with work and recreation transformed. “I turned it around to a positive,” he says. “I realized the ski mountaineering season begins when the lifts close, and the snow is more safe and stable, and I have more time. I’d grown up doing high-altitude backcountry skiing, and I realized I should have been doing it all along. I decided to take on 14ers as a project because it had a defined, prescribed list.”
TAKE AN AVALANCHE SAFETY COURSE
Learn to recognize avalanche terrain. Most avalanches travel in paths, on smooth, broad, steep exposed slopes of between 25 and 60 degrees, but there are many exceptions. Remember: If you can ride through it, an avalanche can slide through it. Practice searching for your companions’ avalanche transceivers until everyone feels confident about their ability to locate each beacon quickly. Research your route and snow conditions in the exact location(s) you plan to ski. Call your local avalanche warning center and check the current and forecasted weather before heading into the backcountry. Be prepared to adjust plans and/or routes accordingly. Your attitude and the attitude of your companions can often mean the difference between a safe trip and catastrophe.
Always carry avalanche equipment, including avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel
Stay alert, and constantly be on the lookout for anything that indicates the potential for a slide.
Cross potential avalanche slopes one at a time — each person should be 100+ yards from the next person.
Avoid traveling in the backcountry alone or leaving the group.
Don't assume a slope is safe because there are tracks going across it. Wind, sun and temperature changes are constantly altering snowpack stability.
Never travel in the backcountry on the day after a big storm. Allow the snowpack to settle for at least 24 hours.
Don't hesitate to voice concerns or fears.
Above info from the National Ski Patrol, www.nsp.org Other resources: www.americanavalancheassociation.org Colorado Avalanche Information Center: avalanche.state.co.us/
And so the work began. Kamper is a strong skier, but he had to hone his mountaineering skills. He studied maps, guidebooks and blogs, and eventually mastered skills like rappelling with his skis on. By April 2009, he skied his first 14er: Quandary Peak. That spring, he bagged 14 peaks.
But not every ascent and descent went as smoothly as that first spring. Several peaks took multiple attempts to ski — bad weather or adverse conditions, including higher-than-expected avalanche danger, impeded progress. Crestone Needle took three attempts: Time ran out on the first attempt; the snow never softened and remained a sheet of glass on the second; and finally, on the third try, “we were not going to be denied,” Kamper says.
A highlight of the journey was skiing with partners, some of whom he met through 14er forums or met on the trails. “One of the best things are the people you meet along the way,” he says. “Anytime you take on a difficult project with somebody, you form a bond.”
One of his partners, Jordan White, was the youngest to ski all of Colorado’s 14ers, at age 23. Kamper still holds the record as the eleventh person to ski all of the 14ers. He is also the oldest, finishing at age 52. “Age didn’t get in the way at all,” he says. “The great thing about doing this, is, it really is a team sport. Everybody you go out with brings a different set of skills and strengths.”
Kamper is a confident skier and navigator — and his partners appreciated him hauling heavy first aid kits up and down the mountain, even though he never had to use them. His partners often brought better mountaineering skills, such as technical roping.
Though Kamper never had to pull out his first aid kit for his partners, his knowledge came in handy on Cameron Point (an unofficial 14er — even official counts of Colorado’s 14ers differ, varying from 53 to 54). Kamper hesitates to call it an avalanche, but he fell and slid with a bunch of snow at 10 a.m. He knew he tore the ligament in his left thumb, so he called into the medical center and scheduled surgery at 6 p.m. Dr. Viola pinned his thumb joint internally and molded a splint so that Kamper was conquering 14ers within a week.
And skier’s thumb wasn’t the only major glitch Kamper ran up against during his four-year journey.
“This kind of endeavor can be really hard on relationships,” he says, adding that his girlfriend was “extremely patient” and even joined him on a couple of trips.
Some peaks, like Capitol, which Kamper describes as the scariest because it required a long traverse on a steep slope above a cliff, also demanded nearly 24 hours of physical exertion; Kamper started climbing Capitol at 11 p.m. and finished the following day at 8 p.m.
Despite the challenges, Kamper wouldn’t trade his self-prescribed “treatment” for anything.
“My passion for skiing, and for being outdoors in general, is a fabulous gift that I received from my parents, and this project brought me to realize just how profound and valuable that gift really is,” Kamper says. “I am working on conveying it to my children and look forward to hearing about their adventures when they're older.”
NUTRITIOUS, ALL-NATURAL CUISINE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BORING
BY KIM FULLER // PHOTOS ANTHONY THORNTON
ating “ healthy ” is generally easier said than consumed, yet more and more, restaurants are jumping on board with a greater diversity of well-balanced offerings. Terra Bistro in Vail Village is known for their elite yet mindful cuisine, with a wide range of both delicious and health-conscious menu items. Although decadence still can be enjoyed with sweetbreads and duck dishes, red wine and sweet dessert finales, Terra Bistro gives guests the option to eat a little lighter, with a kitchen that is always willing to cater to personal dietary preferences or restrictions.
"I personally have always believed — and it's become the core of Terra Bistro's directive — that when it comes down to it, you are what you eat," says Terra Bisto managing partner Kevin Nelson. "I know it's simplistic, but we just believe that if you begin with perfect ingredients that are fresh and not manipulated in any way, and begin your creative process from there, you get to an end result that pleases the guest on all levels — beyond just the typical dining experience.": Recipes provided by Kevin Nelson, head chef of Terra Bistro in the Vail Mountain Lodge. »
Mushrooms are terrific immune boosters.
. Nutrition Facts .
PARSNIP PILAF IN GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
Serving Size 112g
Calories 80
Calories from Fat 30
Total Fat 3.5g 5% DV
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3% DV
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0% DV
Sodium 12mg 1% DV
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4% DV
Dietary Fiber 4g 16% DV
Sugars 4g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0% DV
Vitamin C 15% DV
Calcium 2% DV
Iron 4 % DV
TAMARI ROASTED CARROT MIX
Serving Size 107g
Calories 90g
Calories from Fat 35
Total Fat 4g 6% DV
Saturated Fat 0g 0% DV
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0% DV
Sodium 290mg 12% DV
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% DV
Dietary Fiber 3g 12% DV
Sugars 4g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 210% DV
Vitamin C 8% DV
Calcium 2% DV
Iron 4% DV
Pilaf in Grilled Portobello Mushroom
6 portobello caps, gills and stems removed, seasoned with olive oil, salt & pepper, and grilled
2 cups parsnip rice
FOR THE PARSNIP RICE, COMBINE THE FOLLOWING
2 cups shredded raw parsnips
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped fine Squeeze of lime juice
Sea salt to taste
(WHEN MUSHROOMS ARE COLD)
1. Trim the grilled portabellos into 2 1/2 inch squares.
2. Fill each square with 2.5 ounces of parsnip rice.
3. Store the filled mushrooms in the cooler until ready to heat and serve.
4. Serve with Tamari Roasted Carrots, Arugula, and Curried Eggplant Sauce.
Tamari Roasted Carrot Mix
4 organic carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chickpeas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons lime juice
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine all and roast in convection oven at 375° to 400° for 20 to 30 minutes until tender and partially charred/caramelized.
2. Serve.
recent study showed modest weight loss in those who replaced one cup of mushrooms for red meat in their diet for one year. Mushrooms are also a good source of dietary vitamin D2, and they are the only plant vegetable to be a significant source of vitamin D.
1 large eggplant, cut in half
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to coat raw eggplant
1 small white or yellow onion, rough chopped
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can organic coconut milk
Sea salt – to taste
1. Rub eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet with onions and roast in the oven until soft, about 30 to 40 minutes at 375° to 425°. Let cool and using a spoon, remove the flesh of the eggplant and set aside with the roasted onion.
2. Heat the oil in a pot and sweat the chopped garlic until aromatic.
3. Add the spices, cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste, coconut milk, and the eggplant onion mixture and bring to a simmer.
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Puree in a blender and pass through fine mesh strainer or chinoise.
Sprouted Quinoa Lettuce Cups
TO SPROUT QUINOA
1. Cover quinoa with water using at least twice the amount of water to quinoa.
2. Soak quinoa in a bowl for at least 12 hours.
3. Drain the quinoa and allow to dry.
4. Cover the quinoa with a breathable lid such as a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
5. Rinse the sprouting seeds twice a day and allow to dry each time. The seed is soft when finished, and best eaten in 2-3 days. The more days that you repeat the rinsing and drying process, the longer the sprouts will become.
6. Once the quinoa has reached the desired stage, refrigerate and enjoy.
1 avocado
6 tablespoons heaping of balsamic-macerated tomatoes
6 tablespoons heaping of sprouted quinoa
4 tablespoons basil aioli
6 Bibb lettuce leaves
Fill each lettuce leaf with equal parts of the above ingredients
– drizzling the sauce last.
Balsamic-macerated Tomatoes
4 cups fine diced roma tomatoes
1/4 cup fine diced red onion
1 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
Combine all and let marinate overnight.
There are multiple benefits to sprouting your seeds, legumes and grains.
hen these foods are sprouted, the seed literally turns inside-out and releases more nutrients to be absorbed as vitamin C, iron, zinc and B-vitamins. Sprouts are also good sources of fiber and protein. Sprouts as a part of a daily diet can help to manage blood sugars and reduce insulin levels, she says, which has been shown to provide benefits for those with Type 2 Diabetes.
Basil Aioli
8 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 shallot — rough chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 fresh egg yolk or 3 tablespoons pasteurized egg yolk
2 1/4 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Combine all except oil in food processor until well blended.
2. Slowly add oil in a steady stream while blending …
3. Pass aioli through a medium or fine mesh strainer to remove any unblended fibers and pieces.
. Nutrition Facts . CURRIED EGGPLANT SAUCE (FROM PAGE 47)
Serving Size 47g
Calories 80
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8g 12% DV
Fat 2.5g 13% DV
Trans Fat 0g
0mg 0% DV Sodium
SPROUTED QUINOA LETTUCE CUPS
Serving Size 125g
Calories 260 Calories from Fat 230
If you have problems digesting legumes, try sprouting them before cooking as the starches responsible for gas formation are broken down and become more digestible.
Every 60 seconds a woman dies from heart disease. What has traditionally been a men’s issue has now become the leading killer of women, responsible for more deaths annually than the next five causes of women’s death combined.
Within the past 15 years, the medical establishment has become much more aware of women’s heart disease and has aimed to educate everyone. In the past, most of the emphasis regarding heart disease was aimed at men, because men presented symptoms earlier, says cardiologist Dr. Jerry Greenberg. But as research progressed, the medical community became aware that “women not only catch up, but also surpass men as they age” when it comes to heart disease, Greenberg says. Though estrogen may help protect premenopausal women against heart disease by increasing the production of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, simply giving women estrogen after menopause does not seem to prevent heart disease. “Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death and disability of women in the United States,” Greenberg says. “Between the ages of 45 and 64, one in nine women develop symptoms of some form of cardiovascular disease. After age 65, (the statistics increase) to one in three women.”
Cardiovascular disease is a catchall phrase for any disease of the heart. Though patients suffer from many types of heart disease, only three main things can go wrong with the heart: problems with the electrical system, the pumping system and the “plumbing,” or arteries.
As the hardest-working muscle in the body, the heart pumps approximately 5 quarts of blood each minute, through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. It consists of four chambers connected by a valve. The blood flows into the atria, or top chambers, and out of the bottom, or ventricles. Heart failure occurs when the ventricles are not strong enough to pump blood out, and both sides of the heart work against each other, so the “squeezes” are not synchronized. This differs from a heart attack, which usually results from blockage in blood vessels that cut off the blood supply to the heart. Heart failure can develop from a heart attack or from conditions like high blood pressure.
“A repeating theme (in women) is that outcomes are often worse in, and with regard to, all of the modalities that we have available to us,” Greenberg says.
The main concern with women and coronary heart disease is: Women don’t experience the same symptoms as men.
For example, major symptoms of a heart attack in men include pressure, burning, arm or shoulder pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea and weakness. However, symptoms in women can include pain in the upper back, jaw or neck, flu-like symptoms, feelings of anxiety, loss of appetite, and general discomfort.
Symptoms in women are not always typical. Though the No. 1 symptom in both sexes involves chest pain, women are more likely to experience chest pain induced by rest, sleep or mental stress, as opposed to physical exertion, which usually causes men’s symptoms, Greenberg says. Women may also feel very fatigued; they may just feel like they have a severe flu. Oftentimes, women’s symptoms are less pronounced, so they tend to seek medical attention less frequently than men.
Another complication comes in the form of women’s “plumbing,” the arteries. “Women’s arteries are typically smaller and potentially more susceptible to injury,” Greenberg says, “and this fact tends to make some of our therapeutic modalities like heart cauterizations and angioplasties more difficult, and have worse outcomes than men.”
Autopsies reveal that plaque develops
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.
1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, and 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
source: american heart association
THE CARDIOLOGY INSTITUTE
(970)476-1110 vvmc.com/heart Clinics in Vail, Eagle and Frisco.
• Interventional and general cardiology
• Anticoagulation clinic
• Cardiac diagnostics
• Cardiac rehabilitation
20s
• Know your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers
• Check your family history
• Avoid smoking
• Drink in moderation
• Choose contraceptives carefully
30s
• Tame your stress
• Develop heart-healthy habits such as eating healthily, exercising regularly and getting a good night's sleep
• Choose contraceptives carefully
40s
• Balance stress with personal needs
• Exercise regularly
• Get regular checkups
50s
• Monitor changes in your body and discuss with your doctor
• Know your numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc...)
• Exercise regularly
• Eat healthily
60s
• Know your risks
• Keep moving
• Have open communication with your doctor
by the late teens or early 20s in much of the population, due to diet and lifestyle choices, such as smoking. Plaque begins as a fatty streak, irritates vessels and then acts as a speed bump. People can live with a 50 to 60 percent artery blockage and not know it, but then a stressful event — be it as simple as exercise or complex as trauma — causes a rupture. The body responds to the bleeding by forming a clot, which can cause a heart attack.
Treatment includes blood-clot-reducing medication, acute catheter-based intervention and/or bypass surgery. Also, chewing an aspirin as soon as heart attack symptoms occur helps thin blood and prevents clotting. “In addition to medicine, there are early invasive strategies, which reduce the adverse effects that coronary heart disease can have on the patient, such as diagnostic heart catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention, and, at times, coronary artery bypass surgery,” Greenberg says. By 2015, Vail Valley Medical Center will open its state-of-the-art catheter lab. The lab will allow patients having heart attacks to receive the current standard of care in Vail, which includes a door to reperfusion time of less than 90 minutes. Each patient will be brought to the heart catheterization laboratory, where the blocked artery is documented and then opened to restore normal blood flow to the heart muscle. “This intervention dramatically limits damage to the heart and the overall complication rate,” Greenberg says.
Within the heart, movement of electrical signals causes the chamber to contract and relax. The most common electrical problem, especially at high elevation, is atrial fibrillation, in which the upper chamber of the heart doesn’t squeeze, but the bottom does, causing an abnormally fast and chaotic heart rate, or quivering.
Atrial fibrillation affects about 2.7 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association, and that number is expected to increase by at least 200 percent in the next 35-45 years, partially because risk increases with drug use, hypertension and an aging population; chances of suffering atrial fibrillation increase by 2 percent a year after age 50, so that by age 90, almost everyone has it. In addition, the higher people go in elevation, the more prominent it is. Symptoms include heart palpitations, or sudden pounding, fluttering or racing, as well as a lack of energy, dizziness, chest
pain or pressure and shortness of breath. Patients with atrial fibrillation are five times more prone to suffer a stroke because the blood doesn’t move as effectively as it should, so it clots.
Treatment includes medications that thin blood, as well as external cardioversion, which essentially shocks the heart in hopes
The main concern with women and heart failure is: Women don’t experience the same symptoms as men.
of bringing it back into rhythm, and ablation, a surgical procedure. “The cardiology field is very successful in the ability to get the heart back into its normal rhythm,” Greenberg says. “(And) the various treatments are much more effective if identified early, before the problem becomes permanent.”
Proper diet, exercise, blood pressure control and cholesterol counts are essential to prevent, and control, heart disease. Women shouldn’t consume more than 20 grams of fat per day, limiting calories from saturated fats to less than 7 percent of their total caloric intake. Restricting sodium to less than 2,500 mg a day, avoiding trans fats, and choosing heart-healthy oils are important, too.
Greenberg recommends moderate intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week — and 60-90 minutes for weight management. He suggests a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 kg per meters squared and a waist measurement of less than 35 inches.
Of course, he tells patients to stop smoking and avoid environmental smoke. If women do smoke, they should avoid all contraceptives, he says.
Optimal blood pressure should be 120/80 or below. Cholesterol total should be less than 200, with the “bad” LDL less than 120-130, and the HDL greater than 50 in women. Women with heart disease or heart disease risk factors should decrease LDL
numbers and increase HDL even more.
Treatment of high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes should be actively managed by a physician. Any recent acute coronary syndrome, coronary intervention or cerebral vascular event should warrant consideration for participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Women should also consider aspirin therapy — under the advisement of a doctor — if they are over age 65, Greenberg says.
Since symptoms of heart disease in women can be masked as other conditions as benign as the flu, the doctors at the cardiology institute encourage women to be proactive in prevention, screening and seeking treatment. They say that women of all ages are at risk, adding that they just saw a 21-year-old snowboarder in the ER complaining of arm pain; at first, ski patrol thought she had fallen on her arm, but it turned out to be heart disease. “It’s better to be safe than be sorry,” Greenberg says.
Cardiovascular disease is the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in Colorado, killing on average ONE COLORADAN EVERY HOUR. Despite this, Colorado is one of the HEALTHIEST STATES in terms of percentage of heart disease. And Eagle County is one of the four HEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN COLORADO in terms of heart disease.
Regular activity is a key part of maintaining cardiovascular health.
HEALTHY LEVELS
• Sodium less than 2,500 mg
• Blood pressure at or less than 130/85, though the goal is 120/80
• Total cholesterol less than 200
• LDL less than 120-130 with no risk factors, 100 if there are risk factors (family history, etc.) and 70 if there is known vascular disease
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
here ’ s no question that gluten-free diets have taken America by storm, but it’s important to keep in mind that gluten itself is not the bad guy. A protein composite derived from wheat and a few other grains, gluten is not an inherently unhealthy component of the diet such as refined sugar or saturated fat. It is simply a substance to which many people have in recent years discovered their digestive tracts and other bodily functions disagree. This lack of harmony might present itself by a series of uncomfortable symptoms or, more seriously, a diagnosis of celiac disease.
“People with gluten intolerance either have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity,” says Katie Mazzia, clinical dietitian at Vail Valley Medical Center. “Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects the lining of the small intestines. If you have celiac disease, your body will not absorb nutrients properly.”
from fad diets.
When the body doesn’t absorb nutrients, it can lead to serious health problems such as osteoporosis, anemia and vitamin D deficiency. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance often have the same symptoms. A person with either often knows there is an issue because consuming something containing gluten — bread, pasta, beer, many kinds of sauces and even vitamins, pills and cosmetics — causes one or many of a variety of symptoms: bloating and stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, joint pain or vomiting, to name a few. The cause of celiac disease, which can only be confirmed by blood tests and screening, is unknown, but is believed to be hereditary and more prevalent in females and Caucasians. The treatment is a strict, gluten-free diet. For individuals who are sensitive to gluten but who don’t have Celiac disease, choosing to go without it is more a matter of their own comfort (preventing symptoms) rather than to sidestep or mitigate a major health concern.
“If you have some symptoms of gluten intolerance, seek the advice of your doctor first, then possibly see a gastrointestinal specialist for diagnosis of celiac disease,” says VVMC Dietitian Melaine Hendershott.
“After properly educating yourself on gluten-free eating, you can adopt a gluten-free diet to see if this helps your symptoms. You will need to trial the diet for at least two weeks to see if your symptoms improve, but it’s a good idea to try it for a whole 30 days.”
“Gluten-free packaged foods can be higher in fat and calories and lower in B vitamins and iron.”
Rachel Zehms, a 36-year-old Vail local, was never diagnosed with celiac disease but 11 years ago, when she realized that drinking beer and eating pizza, bread and pasta was causing severe joint pain, she cut gluten out of her diet. “Within 24 hours after eating a sandwich or anything with gluten, I’d notice swelling in my finger joints, then it moved to my shoulders and legs. There were times I was in so much pain I could barely walk at night," she says. “I decided to avoid gluten and I felt 80 percent better within two weeks.”
By now, avoiding gluten is second nature to Zehms, but she says it takes a bit of effort and research for anyone newly discovering a gluten intolerance. “The most challenging thing is when you’re looking for something affordable and quick,” she says. “You need to educate yourself on all the things that have gluten. Sometimes it’s in things you wouldn’t expect, like sauces.”
When shopping, it’s comforting for GF (glutenfree) eaters to know that all fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and meats are naturally gluten free, as are many other foods. As evidenced by the $12.4 billion in annual gluten-free product sales, you can find a GF version of just about anything.
Keep in mind, gluten-free products are not necessarily healthier. In many cases, they may actually be less healthy. “Gluten-free packaged foods can be higher in fat and calories and lower in B vitamins
Fruits, vegetables and nuts are gluten free, as are some whole grains such as quinoa, millet and buckwheat.
AGAVE
JUNIPER
KELLY LIKEN
LARKBURGER
LARKSPUR
LA TOUR
MARKO’S PIZZERIA
OLD FORGE PIZZA
SWEET BASIL
TERRA BISTRO
TIMBER HEARTH GRILL
VIN 48
YAMA SUSHI
YELLOWBELLY
and iron,” Mazzia points out. “When you take out that gluten, you have to add different mixed flours or potato starch. I always recommend reading the nutrition labels and buying gluten-free products with at least three grams of fiber per serving.”
For someone who has no issues with gluten, Mazzia says it’s always healthier to choose whole wheat over white breads and pastas. She cites quinoa, faro, bulgur, brown rice and wild rice as high-fiber grains. Of these, only quinoa and rice are gluten-free. Other healthy GF grains include millet, corn and buckwheat.
“Gluten-free diets are not for everyone,” Hendershott says. “It’s never a bad idea to add more variety to your diet using popular gluten-free grains, so feel free to purchase some GF pastas, cereals or cook with more quinoa or rice as sides rather than breads or wheat products. You’ll always find something GF nearly everywhere, even if it means a burger or chicken sandwich with no bun or a salad. Most important is educating yourself on how sensitive you are — can you handle a little cross-contamination or none at all? What foods contain gluten? And find a good balance of other foods to substitute for the gluten favorites in your life.”
Venture Sports owner and athlete embodies the popular slogan better than anyone in town
BY SHAUNA FARNELL
hen mike brumbaugh moved to the valley 23 years ago, he was, like many who land here, chasing snow. Having grown up in Florida, the operator of Avon’s Venture Sports was a latecomer to skiing, but once he tasted powder, he was hooked.
“My dad was a teacher and teachers don’t take their kids on ski vacations. So I literally didn’t see snow before my freshman year in college.”
Attending Western State College and living in Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs, it wasn’t until Brumbaugh moved to the Vail Valley that he felt he was in the right place.
“Every mountain town is cool but Vail is special. Our snow is much more consistent than any other place. We have great skiing, climbing, biking, golfing … everything. I feel blessed that I ended up here.”
Brumbaugh’s athletic interests morphed and multiplied along with his years in town. A skier and cyclist, he added paddling to the mix as well as a penchant for vigorous athletic endeavors on very little sleep. It was one such impulse that possessed he and two friends to attempt to break the speed record
for rafting through the Grand Canyon, a feat that typically took recreational paddlers about three weeks. Brumbaugh’s posse set out to do it in five days. They put in at the start of the canyon at 3 a.m. and paddled a whopping 60 miles downriver from the end point, not in five days but just four. As far as he knows, nobody has ever done it faster.
“It was one of those things people said couldn’t be done,” he says. “We said, ‘all right, let’s go do it.’ It wasn’t a sanctioned race. We just put in, put our heads down and paddled. The Grand Canyon is pretty dang easy. It’s just long.”
It is especially long if you are living off of nothing more than a few Snickers bars.
“We kind of forgot our food,” Brumbaugh says. “We got to the beach the first night. I had the stove. I looked at my buddy and said, ‘OK. Who has the food?’ We all looked at each other. We just had our snacks. We ended up poaching food from raft parties.”
It was about that time — after Brumbaugh put his wedding ring up for collateral for a supply of food at the end of the river to get he and his buddies back home — that his wife first tried rock climbing. Already an ice climber, Brumbaugh was curious to try
Braumbaugh often sacrifices sleep to fit play in, while also running local sports shot Venture Sports and being
tackling walls with his hands and feet. So he jumped on the bandwagon … and took off at full speed. He had found his calling.
“I always like to say the reason I climb is my wife. It’s a good hall pass. It’s her fault that I like it so much.”
Brumbaugh gets good use out of the hall pass. He sets off to climb as often as possible, even in the winter. Sometimes he’ll put in a 12 or 14-hour workday at the shop, drive to Utah — usually Moab or Zion — sleep in his car, climb a big wall and then drive home.
“People always say, ‘you’ve got a business. You’re married. How do you fit it in? How do you balance it all?’ Usually I sacrifice sleep. I’m willing to drive through the night, work long days and drink a lot of Red Bull.”
It's problem solving,. that's what climbing is. It's. good meditation time." .
Brumbaugh’s climbing excursions have taken him around the world. He was helicoptered in to climb Canada’s mighty Bugaboos last year. He’s scaled a vertical mile of rock called The Stipend in Norway. He was part of the group to make the first-ever ascent up El Gigante in northern Mexico. He’s climbed in Sweden, Corsica and all over Europe. He’s got a tentative trip to Pakistan planned.
His longest continuous climb (so far) was 14 hours up the infamous piece of rock in Yosemite Park on El Capitan called The Nose. The climb itself, which he and his buddy started at 5 a.m. wearing headlamps, was not that daunting. The sheer exhaustion didn’t set in until they lost their way getting back to the car, adding about three unnecessary hours of walking.
“It was just a paved road and we were about a quarter mile to the car,” Brumbaugh recalls. “I offered to buy all the meals for the rest of the trip if my buddy went to get the car and picked me up.”
When setting off to climb, Brumbaugh’s motto is “the bigger the better.” He has hauled up walls with 100 pounds of gear on his back, slept thousands of feet off the ground in a cot attached to the vertical rock. He always goes with at least one friend — somebody he knows and trusts, because, unlike a ski or biking buddy, when rock climbing, “you are basically putting your life in their hands and vice versa,” he says.
For Brumbaugh, rock climbing is “a microcosm of life,” only delightfully more simple.
“It’s problem solving, that’s what climbing is. It’s good meditation time. No matter what’s going on, you’re focusing on a 4-foot section of rock you have to get past. No matter what’s going on, you’re only thinking about surviving. Getting up there and not seeing another person, seeing a golden eagle flying below you … it’s pretty neat.”
FACES 2013 VVMC FAMILY DINNER DANCE
The 33rd Annual Family Dinner Dance, held on December 28, was a night of dinner and dancing with proceeds benefiting the remodel of the Vail Valley Mecical Center ICU.
FISCAL YEAR 2013 NOV 1, 2012 THROUGH OCT 31, 2013
VVMC PLATINUM SOCIETY
$100,000 AND ABOVE
Carol and Keith Brown
May Family Black Mountain Ranch
Shaw Outreach Team
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation
VVMC GOLD MEDALLION SOCIETY
$50,000 - $99,999
Eagle Springs Charitable Foundation
Joan Francis
Pat and Peter Frechette
Martha Head and John Feagin, MD
Susu and George Johnson, Jr.
Molly and Jay Precourt
Mary Sue and Michael Shannon
Sonnenalp of Vail Foundation
John Tyler
Vail Breast Cancer Awareness Group
VVMC Volunteer Corps
VVMC SILVER MEDALLION SOCIETY
$25,000 - $49,999
Kathy and Erik Borgen
Peggy Fossett
Donna Giordano
Sheika and Pepi Gramshammer
Keith Wold Johnson
Charitable Trust
Doris and John Kirchner
Sheila Sullivan and Harvey Simpson
The Willard T.C. Johnson Foundation, Inc.
Vail Valley Surgery Center, LLC
GORDON AND THELMA
BRITTAN SOCIETY
FOUNDER'S LEVEL
$15,000 - $24,999
Jean and Paul Corcoran, DDS
Ann and Doc Cornwell
Lucy and Ron Davis
Duane Morris, LLP
Brooke Gray
Ann Becher Smead and Michael Byram
US Bank
Vail Valley Surgery Center
PRESIDENT'S LEVEL
$5,000 - $14,999
Janet and Paul Abbott, MD
Alpine Bank
Apollo MD Anesthesia
Helen S. and Merrill L. Bank Foundation, Inc.
Bertini and Melvyn Bergstein
Marlene and John Boll Foundation
James Cargill, II April and Art Carroll
Colorado Mountain Medical, P.C.
Amy and Steven Coyer
Sandi Dean
Denver Health & Hospital Foundation
Diversified Radiology of Colorado
Suzy and Jim Donohue
Irene and Jared Drescher
Eagle Valley Community Fund
Kathleen and Jack Eck, MD
Encore Electric
FirstBank
Craig Foley
Dawn and Tim Force
Greer and Jack Gardner
Nick Gordon
Marilyn Greenspan
Kim and Thomas Hackett, MD
Georgina Hartland
Nancy and Charlie Hovey, Jr.
Geordy Johnson
Kalkus Foundation, Inc.
Elaine and Art Kelton, Jr.
Margie and Lawrence Kyte, Jr.
Tara and Bob Levine
Deb and Dan Luginbuhl
Cynthia McAdam
Alison and Tim McAdam
Brenda and Joe McHugh
Elise and Victor Micati
Ellen Mitchell
Joyce and Jim Nielsen
Northern Trust
Linda Pancratz
Sara and Eric Resnick
Slifer Smith & Frampton
Real Estate
Steadman Philippon
Research Institute
Carol and Hans Storr
Susan Talucci
Town of Vail
Linda and Stewart Turley
Vail Resorts, Inc.
Vail Summit Emergency
Physicians
Vail Valley Cares
Lucinda and Andy Daly
Debbie and David Darrough
Mary and David Davies
Devon DeCrausaz and Rick Smith
Gail and Carl Dietz
Paulette and Gilbert Digiannantonio
Lisa Dillon and Jay Peterson
Fred Distelhorst, DDS
Vincent Duncan
Dusty Boot
Eagle River Fire Protection District
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics
Sally Veitch
Rachel and David Viele
Barbara and Richard Wenninger
Alice and Andy Weydt
The Wheless Foundation
Eleanor Willock
Marcy and Dick Woodrow
BENEFACTOR'S LEVEL
$1,000 - $4,999
Sara and John Almond
Alpine Party Rentals
Anne and David Altchek
Axel's
Collin Baugh
Barbara and Jack Benson
Barbara and Barry Beracha
Eric Berg
Laura and Len Berlik
Charmayne and Charles Bernhardt
Charmayne Originals
Brett and Winston Berry
Martha and Bill Bevan, Jr.
Anthony Binsfeld
Sue and Sidney Blandford, III
Patti and Edward Blender, DDS
Pamela Bock, MD and Brooks Bock, MD
Suzanne and Fred Boettcher
Denise Delaney and Glenn Bourland
Eleanor and Gus Bramante, DDS
BeaAnn and Jack Braun
Regina Brinkerhoff
Kent Brittan
Noelle Brock
Larry Broderick
Kelly and Sam Bronfman
Dorothy Browning
Bradley Bruce
Lois and Richard Bruce
Ruth and Barry Bucher
Carolyn and Gary Cage, MD
Jeri and Charles Campisi
Peggy Carey
Centennial Bank
Patsy and Pedro Cerisola
Cerner Corporation
Sara and Michael Charles
Cynthia and John Chase
Kay and Thomas Clanton, MD
Club Corp
Robert Cohen
Thomas Conners
David Courtney
Caron and Charlie Crevling
Paige and Chris Cumming
Angela and Peter Dal Pezzo
Jane and Reed Eberly
Catherine and Ulf Edborg
Lainie Edinburg and Joel Kaye
Peggy and Gary Edwards
El Pomar Foundation
Holly and W. Elliott, II
Christine and Tom Engleby
Cynthia Engles
E-Town
Pauls Family Foundation, Inc.
Diane and Larry Feldman
Regina and Kyle Fink, MD
Cookie and Jim Flaum
Noreen and Darryl Flores
Barry Florescue
Ceil and Steve Folz
Michelle and Brian Foster
Lorraine Fry
Grace and Stephen Gamble
Vicky and John Garnsey
Margie and Thomas Gart
Larry Gaul, MD
Amy Gish
Sharon and Herbert Glaser
Georgia Wall and Donald Gogel
The Golden Bear
Carol and Ronnie Goldman
Lyn Goldstein
Carol and Charles Goolsbee
Lynn and John Gottlieb, MD
Ingrid and Dan Graham
Jean Graham and Philip Smith
Becka and Stuart Green
Michael Greene
Neal Groff
Steven Gutman
Valerie and Robert Gwyn
Heidi Ham
Stephanie and John Hanson
Patricia Hardenbergh, MD and Gordon Hardenbergh, MD
Grace Harrigan
Haselden Construction
Healthcare Outsourcing Network, Inc.
Heery Design, Inc.
Jeanne and William Hellegas
Betsy and Mike Henritze
Sally and Wil Hergenrader
Lorraine and H. Higbie, Jr.
High Altitude Spa
Clairlee Hawn-Hirsch and Robert Hirsch
Joanna and Gordon Hoffstein
Dawn and Frank Holmes, III, MD
Pam Holton
Aubyn and Robert Howe
Amy Hunter
Carol and Richard Hunton
Julie and Brice Jackson
Jackson Building Company
Bruce Jarvis
Cheryl and Bill Jensen
Kathryn and Calvin Johnson
Gretchen and John Jordan, II
Alexia and Jerry Jurschak
June and Peter Kalkus
Diana and Jim Kaylor
Barbara and Tim Kelley
Cynthia and Peter Kellogg
Mary and William Kennedy
Amy Klunzinger
Nancy and Richard Knowlton
Judy and Alan Kosloff
The Joyce and Paul Krasnow
Charitable Foundation
Allison Krausen and Kyle Webb
Ron Kruszewski
Dori and Bert Ladd
Kathy Langenwalter and Dick Cleveland
Robert Lentz
Ann and Charlie L'Esperance
Ann and William Loper
Becky Lowe
Nancy and Richard Lubin
Luigi's Pasta House - Eagle
Vanessa and Johnny Lyons
Devinder Mangat, MD
Merrill Mann
Margaret and Peter Mason
Leni and Peter May
Shirley and William McIntyre, IV
Dominique McLerran
Melanie and Tim McMichael
Peg and Ag Meek
Judy and Robert Meuleman
Nancy Mezey-Groff
Lisa and Bill Middlebrook
Sheri and Michael Mintz
Peggy and Vaughn Morgan
Kathy Morrow
Jeanne and Dale Mosier
Kathleen Mundy and Fred Hessler
Vicki and Trygve Myhren
Chupa R.A. Nelson
Rachel Nelson and Jay Rush
Karen Nern, MD and Thomas Nern
The Nickel Foundation
Paula and Prentice O'Leary
OSI Industries
Osprey
Parsons Brinckerhoff Group Administration, Inc.
Rena Paterson
Lisa and David Pease
Pediatrix/MEDNAX Services, Inc.
Diane and David Pennock
Perch
Renee Peterson and Roger Shapiro
Senenne and Marc Philippon, MD
Michele Pirozzi
Fred Pool
Premiere Legal
Advantage, Inc.
Sherry and Alex Preston
Gretchen Price
Carolyn and Hollis
Rademacher
The Raether 1985
Charitable Trust
Rakich Family Charitable Foundation
Gretchen and Robert Ravenscroft
Amy and James Regan
Anne and Ron Riley
Sharon and Vern Ritzman
Laura and Richard Robert
Roberts Family Foundation
Diane Romero
Rose Community Foundation
Margaret Rosenquist
Amy Roth, PhD
Barbara and Howard Rothenberg, MD
Ann and Richard Rothkopf
Thea Jean and Fred Rumford
Suzanne and Bernard Scharf
Elaine and Steven Schwartzreich
Barbara and Don Segal
Sandra and Kenneth Seward
Susanna Johnson and Timothy Shannon
Ronald Simon
Slifer Designs
Pamela and Richard Smith
Patricia and William Smith, Jr.
Debbie Solie
Marilyn and James Steane, II
Jo Stanchina
Anne and Josef Staufer
Gaye Steinke
William Sterett, MD
Susan and Steve Suggs
Tom Swarsen
Keri and Mark Talucci
Tom Talucci
Agnes and Oscar Tang
Nancy and Jon Tellor
The Barry Foundation
Jere Thompson
Patrick Tierney
Corine Trujillo
Rosemary and Robert Tutag
Lissa Tyler and Mike Larson
Jean Urquhart, MD and Alec Urquhart, MD
Vail Radio Partners
Vail Valley Concours, LLC
Vail Valley Foundation
Tracey Van Curan
Lois and John Van Deusen
Leo Vecellio
Vin 48
Elizabeth Vincent
Jackie Hurlbutt and Norman Waite, Jr.
Linda and Phil Waldbaum
Katie and Bill Weaver
Gail Weinnig, TTE
Wells Fargo Private Bank
Carol and Patrick Welsh
Wiegers Family Foundation
Kristin and David Williams
Alinda and Jim Wikert
Jane Wilner
Deborah Wittman and Rik Heid
Andrea and Gary Yetman
Susan and Ronald Zapletal
Sally Ann and Alan Aarons
Jan and Wayne Abbott
Peter Abuisi
Joseph Acac
Rose and Dean Aden
Shirlee Aden
Jennifer and David Adkins
Marilyn and Roger Affa
Sandi and Larry Agneberg
Sally Agnoletto
Maria and Lucas Aguilar
Nadine Ainbinder
Anne Albertson
Christine and Jack Albertson
Julie Albritton
Alerus Financial
Pamela and Richard Alexander
Jill Alfond
Nancy and Brad Allen
Jocelyn and Mark Allen
Mike Allen
Rhonda Allen-Hickman and Michael Hickman
Wallace Allison, Jr.
Dave Alonzo
Jean and Donald Alperti
Lorie Amass
Suzanne Amass and Christina Lacroix
Amgen Foundation
Maria Ammaturo
Carey Anderson
Corey Anderson
Ernest Anderson
Patricia and Joel Anderson
Kim Anderson
Lori Anderson
Shannon Anderson
Christina Andrews
Dee and Warren Androus
Bonnie Angus
Maria Anjier
Molly and Michael Ansfield
Jackie Anthony
Any Occasion, Inc,
Joel Appel
Lisa Levin Appel
Annie and Tom Apple
Christine Apriceno
Michael Arat
Mary P. Armistead
Courtney and Kevin Armitage
Mary Lou and Robert Armour
Donna and Mark Arnold
William Arnold
Margaraet and Charles Arnoult
Laurie Ashley
Virginia and Ronald Askew
Sarah and Glenn Ast
M. Charlotte Atencio
Carolee and Russell Atha, Jr.
JeriLu Atkins, MD and Dale Atkins
Patricia and Chris Aubel
Avon Liquors
AXA Foundation
Toni Axelrod
Judd Babcock
Isha Babel
Denise Babinski
Tess and Thomas Backhus
Patricia and Arnold Bagwell
Patricia and John Bailey
Patty Bailey
Patricia Bain
Dierdre and Ronnie Baker
Shelly and Patrick Baldasare
Mary Baldo
Wiliam Balzano
Nina and Robert Bandoni
Bank of America Foundation
Laura and Jonathan Banks
Pamela and Robert Barker
Jared Barnes
Anne Barnett
Holly and Brent Barnum
Henry Barr
Brian Barrett
Hilary Barrett
Marcella and Robert Barry
Mary and Seth Barsky
Karl Barth
Janine and Matt Bartok
Karen Bartok-Browne
Patti Jo and Robin Bates
Nancy Baumer
Judith McBride and Bruce Baumgartner
Matt Bayley
Lee and Ed Beach
Marcia Beat
Danielle Beaudette
John Beaupre
Beaver Creek Chophouse
Beaver Creek Merchant's Association
Beck Company
Margo and Roger Behler
Kurt Belisle
Sharon Bell
Stephanie Ben
Maria Bender
Patricia Benedict
Ghada Benitez
Jean Bennett
Shana Bennett
Joyce Bennis
Joyce and Mark Benson
David Bentley
Kathryn Benysh
Lin Bercher
Dina Berg
Colleen and Kevin Berga
Alix and Hans Berglund
Scott Bergman
Michael Berland
Janice and Charles Berlik
Frank Bernal
Ann and Hank Bernbaum
Hans Bernhard
Lois and Stan Bernstein
Jen Bettenhausen, MD and Timothy Bettenhausen
Cheryl Beuttas
Lori Beyer
Rajnish Bhuyan
Susan Biddle
Clay Bidwell
Robert Biesemeyer
Joyce and Gerald Biggs
Ella Bindley
Thomas Bischoff
Bill Bishop
Sharon and Britt Bishop
Daisy Bissett
Maxine and Jerry Bizer
Sawyer Blair
Cindy and Bill Blakey
Delroy Blaske
Donna and Jack Blatchford
Margaret Blazek
Bonnie Blecha
Charla and John Blizzard
Laura and Richard Block
Benjamin Blount
Deborah Blount
R.H. Bluestein and Company
Sue Blumberg
Barbara and William Blume
Julia Blumenfeld
Hikers trek 4 miles through aspens while enjoying Beaver Creek's finest cuisine. Proceeds benefit Jack's Place and Shaw Regional Cancer Center.
Debbie and Tab Bonidy
Rhea Bonk
The Bookworm
Randi Borgen Jaerbyn and Patrick Jaerbyn
Virginia Borges
Martha Boswell
Kean Boucher
John Boudreau
Tamira Boudreau
Richard Bourret
Jo Dee Bowen
Nancy Boyce
James Boyd
Diane Boyer
Melissa Boyes
Bridget Bradford
Betsy Bradley
Debbie and William Brady
Brady, Martz and Associates, P.C.
Dan Brajtbord, MD
Margaret Brammer
Pamela Brandmeyer
Catherine and Timothy Brandt
Martha Brassel
Gayle Braunholtz, MD and Alan Braunholtz
Jeff Brausch
Patti and Ronald Brave
Nolan Brawley
Susan and Bob Breeden
Paul Breitenwischer
Alice Brekke
Edwin Brekke
Kathleen and John Brendza
Marka and Jimmy Brenner
Kathy and David Brewer
Priscilla Brewster
Cindy and Dave Bright
Thomas Brink
Tim Broas
Dana Brocious
Eric Brocklebank
Linda and George Brodin
Burt Bronk
Karen Bronow
Holly Brooking
Suzanne and Richard Bross
Laura Brown
Libby Brown
Michael Brown
Lilia and Nico Brown
Lori and Robert Brown
Margie and Robert Brown
William Brown
Margaret Wilcox Browning
Werner Bruggemann
Rebecca and Paul Brun
Stephen Brunmeier
Brush Creek Elementary School
Kathleen Buchan
Margaret Buchannan
John Buckingham
Maegan Buckler
David Buell
Brenda Buglione
Avonne and James Bullock
Charles Bumgarner
Jill and Alan Burchill
Angela Burgess
Kelly Burgesser
Frederick Burgum
Debbie Burman
Steve Burmeister
Gretchen and Leonard Busse
Butler Health and Beauty
Nora Butrym
Myra and Marvin Butts
Spencer Butts
Shay and John Cahill
Veronica and Paco Calderon
Frank Calhoun
Mary and Nick Calise
Nancy and Jack Camilleri
David Campbell
Katherine Campbell and Duane Helleloid
Margaret Campbell
Robert Campbell
Becki and Steve Campbell
Charlyn Canada
Candi Johns Salon, Inc.
Nicole Cannella
Andrew Canter
Tanja Canter
Jason Carbone
Kendall Carbone
Charles Carey
Wendy and Michael Carey
Donna Carlberg
Robert Carlson
Ann Carroll
John Carroll
Timothy Carroll
Mary and David Carter
Robert Carter
Steve Carver
Cascade Village Theatre
Amy and Ian Casey
Joanne Casey
Sara and Fernando Castillo
Juan Castillo
Crystal Castruita
Nancy and Leo Catalfano
Joyce and Tracy Caton
Katherine Cattanach
Ellie and David Caulkins
Harry Cebron
Central Wyoming Neorosurgery, LLC
Joann and Louis Cernak
Evelyn Centrone
Joel Cervantes
Judie and John Chain, Jr.
Jose Chairez
Kathy Chandler-Henry and George Henry
Bryan Chapin
William Chapin, III
Susan and Paul Chapman
Chapter IG, PEO Sisterhood
Karen Chase
Sally Chase
Lyon Chavez
Lara Chavis
Norma and Juan
Carlos Checa
Nancy Cheek, RLT II
Charlene Chen
Sandra and Robin Cherp
Teresa Cherry, MD
E.B. Chester
Chippen Nails
Susanna Chlipala
Betsy Chosnek
Meg Christensen
Linda and Beric Christiansen
Pete Chronis
James Cinamon
Joann and John Cirullo
Kevin Claire
Darrell Bogardus
Larry Bohn
Deborah and David Boillot
Adriana Bombard
Alison and Salvatore
Bommarito
Susan and Donald Barnes
Avanelle and Charles Bond
Michael Burney
Janie and Bill Burns
Michael Burns
Stephen Burrill
Frank Burton
Edith Busam
Mary and Robert Bush
Barry Clairmont
Victoria and Terrell Clampitt
Anne Clark
Dana Clark
Phyllis and Michael Clark
Susan Clark
Caryn Clayman
Hagearty, DDS
Mary and James Hagen
Bobbi and Topper Hagerman
Rosemarie and Kurt Hahn
Judson Haims
Kathleen Hall
Ty Hall
Kathleen and George Haller
Bonnie and Jim Hamilton
Megan Hamilton
Robert Hammaker
Beth Hammer
Lisa and David Hammond
Joanna and Anthony Hankins
Bill Hansen
Allison and Chad Hansen
Cheryl and Daniel Hansen
Dustin Hansen
JoAnne Hansen
Lilly and Arthur Hardin
Jean Harmon and Paul Randall
Elizabeth Harris
Lynne and Richard Harris
Yra Harris
Jill and John Harrison
Daneen Harsha
Barbara Hart
Jane and Richard Hart
Judith and Larry Harwick
Ivan Hass
Nancy Hassett
Julia Hastings
Karin Hathaway
Scooter Hathorn
Whitney Hathorn
Jonathan Hauser
Mollie Hay
Anne Hayes
Shannon and Mark Hayman
Shirley Haynes
Daniel Heard
Deborah and Dennis Heaton
William Heavey
Julie Heaydon
Craig Held
Linda Hendricks
Kate and Ned Hentz
Rebecca Herbert
Robert Hernreich
Courtney Herring
Matthew Hesse
Richard Hessek
Susan Hewitt
Hi Cranes, Inc.
Margo and Paul Hields
Bobbie Higer
Barbara Higgins
Jackie Hijmans
Christy Hill
Kathleen Hill
Lori Hill
Maggie and John Hillman, MD
Zachary Hines
Mary Hinojosa
Polly and David Hinshaw
Anne Hintz
Norma and Charles Hirsh
Lita Hitchcock
Cherryl Hobart and Martha Rehm
Vikki Hobbs
Amy Hobgood
Dale Hobson
Christie and Karl Hochtl
Ronald Hoffner
Corey Hoffstein
Joanna and Gordon Hoffstein
Lee Hoffstein
Lindsay and Ben Hogan, PA-C
A. Bart Holaday
Callie Holland
Dennis Holland
Elizabeth Holland
Julie Hollander
Rosemary Holliday
Summer Holm
Cheryl Holman
Diane and Robert Holmes
PMG Mountain Homes, LLC
Eileen Honchock
Rebecca and Christopher Hooper
Laureen Hopkins
Pamela Hopkins
Kristin and Kyle Hoppes
Mary Hopsicker
Bonnie Horbal
Fraser Horn
Mo Horning and Steve Cardinale
Katie Horsman
Holly Horvath
Patrick Horvath
Missy and David Hoster
Louise and Phil Hoversten
Beth and Richard Howard
Frederick Howe
Lucy Howland
Linda and Jay Hoyt
Katie Hoyt
Mary Hoza
Todd Huck
Dale Huff
Todd Huffman
Mark Huggenvik
Kip Hughes
James Hungerford
E Ann Hunter
Ellis Hunter
Tom Hunter
Elizabeth Hurry
Martha Hussain
Don Hutchings
Francis Hussey
Heather and Trygve Hutto
Cat and Gerry Huttrer
Glenn Huwa
Cliff Hyatt
Thomas Hyde
Vina Hyde
Alice Hymel
Nancy Icke
Gary Ingoldsby
Claudia Ingraham
John Ingraham
Rex Ingram
Inmark
Integra Auto Center
Invest in Others Charitable Foundation
Dieter Inzenhofer
Jerome Isaacs
Julie Iskenderian
Rosalie Hill Isom
Sandra Jacaruso
Pia Jacobs
Yvonne Jacobs
Jennifer Jacobsen
Jake Jacobson
Myra Jacobson
Victoria and Steven Jacobson
Victoria and Kenneth Jaffie
Kshama and Eric Jaiswal
Sherri Jaksha
Joe Jamar
Daryl James
Ann Marie Jangro
Robert Jangro
Scott Jangro
Shelly and Christopher Jarnot
Catherine and Robert Jarnot
JBS
Dorothy Jeffrey
Bobbi Jennings
Patricia and M. Jent
Becky Jewell
Michelle Jirenec and John Fee
Cynthia Job
Karen Johansen
Amanda Johnson
Bill Johnson
Dean Johnson
James Johnson
Nick Johnson
Patricia Johnson
Cathy and Richard Johnson
Susanne and Ted Johnson
Wayne Johnson
Evie Johnston
Makenna Johnston
Mary Ann Johnston
Susan and Daniel Jones
Jim Jones
Janet and Stephen Jones
Audrey Jorgensen
Natalie Joseph
JP Morgan Chase Bank
Juniper Restaurant
Karen and Michael Juntunen
Michael Kachmer
Felicia Kalaluhi
Harriet and Harry Kalish
Kary Kaltenbacher
Patty and Stanton Kamens
Catherine and Peter Kane
Gay and George Kapplinger
Mary and Terry Karkela
David Karli, MD
Caroline Karlin
Kerma and John Karoly
Brice Karsh
Beth Kase
Daryl Katauskas
Loretta Katauskas
Jacqueline and Robert Kavanagh
L. William Kay II
Charis Keeler
Richard Keibler
Keil Urogynecology
Byron Keil
Loretta Keller
Sandra and Thomas Kelly, MD
Carol Kemp
Joanne Kemp
Alexander Kennedy
Cheryl Kennedy
Janet Kennedy
Ned Kennedy
Holly and Kevin Kenny
Mary Kenny Moynihan
Terry Kermoade
Karen Keros
Joanna Kerwin
Vanessa Kerzner
Susan Kiely
Donna King and Kurt Lemme
Julie Kinne
Sandi and Skip Kinsley
Lee Kirch
Dale Kistler, MD
Bonnie and Lawrence Kivel
James Kleckner
Stephen Klein
Shane Kleinstein
Julie Klotz
Theresa and Gary Klunzinger
Rosanne and James Klunzinger
Jeffrey Klunzinger
Dana and Andrew Knerl, MD
Lena Knight
William Knox IV
Rebekah Koenigbauer
An emotional documentary shows Kevin Pearce, who was expected to podium in the 2010 Olympics, after a halfpipe training accident ended his dreams and left him fighting for his life after a traumatic brain injury.
Former pro snowboarder Kevin Pearce speaks to a sold-out Vilar Center crowd about recovering from a traumatic brain injury; Kevin rides Beaver Creek Mountain with the VVMC team; Kevin and Kim Greene’s selfie.
Coco and Frank Pettee
Ruth Anne Pettinichi
Cynthia Pettit
Ann Phelps
Arley and Jason Philips
Joyce Phillips
Joseph Phoenix
Robert Pickelner
Howard Picking
Kacee Picot
Jackie Pietrzyk
Cathy Pilone
Pinon Real Estate Group
Ebby Pinson
Richard Pipkin
Kay and Thomas Pitcher
Diane Pitt
Loree Pitts
Mary and Garrett Plepel
Drew Plotkin
Robert Plotkin
Claudia Podgorny
Dianne and Emanuel Podgorny, MD
Alan Pogue
Anna Policastri
Joan Polin
Doug Poore
Juliette Pope
Gayle and Terry Pope
Victoria Pope
Monica and Daniel Porter
Brook and David Portman
Herchel Portman
Hattit and Robert Potts, Jr.
Ann and Ralph Poucher
Wayne Pourciau
Jackie and James Power
Mary and Dick Pownall
Mary and Ron Pressman
Jim Preston
Julie Preston
Mike Preston
Anne Prinzhorn
Lisa Proctor
Rosemary Pulick
Helga and Warren Pulis
Diane and Todd Purse
Carol Pyka
Jeanne and Michael Quagliano
Hilda and Aniceto Quinones
Robert Rademacher
Jean and Bruce Rader
Wanda Radetti
Bob Ragonese
Margaret Rahe
Shelly Raichart
Anne and John Rainey
Rebecca Ramert-Richmond
Guillermo Ramis
Angela Ramsey
Mary and Chris Randall
Nelson Rapozo
Cindy Rasmussen and Michael Staughton
Patti Rasmussen
Carolyn Rathjen
Sara and Bill Ratliff
Scott Raub, MD
Madeline Read and Stephen Bandak
Joyce Reece
Anne Reed
Rosalind Reed and Howard Walker
Lisa Reeder
Mary Reese
Janet Refior
Terri Reichert
Carolyn and Robert Reintjes
Lyn and Richard Reis
Tiffany and Matthew Reis
Jane and Michael Reisinger
Milton Reitman, MD
Barbara and Gary Rende
Kathi Renman
Michele and Jeffrey Resnick, MD
Diane Rexrode
William Rey
Annette Reyes
Leobardo Reyes
Francis and Karl Reynolds
RD Richardson
Marcia Richey
David Richhart
Candace Riden
Pat Rieman
Marlene and George Riemer
Carol Riggs
Ira Riklis
Kirstin Riley
C. Lee Rimel
Patrice Ringler
Maureen and Gerald Riordan
Doug Rippeto
Steven Rittvo
DeeAnn Rivera
Kerry and Justin Roach
Catherine and Kevin Roach
Andrea Robbins
Samaara Robbins
Anne Roberts
Jamie Roberts
Sandra Roberts
Susan Roberts
Virginia Roberts
Judy Robins
Kimberly Robinson
Paul Robinson
Charlotte Robson, DVM
Shari and Jeffrey Rodeen
William Rodkey, DVM
Edwin Rodriguez
Margarita Munoz and Noe
Rodriguez-Serna
Bruce Rogers
Mark Rohde
Dan Rohman
Paula Rohr
Cherie and John Rollins
Sarah Roman
Stacy and Christopher Romer
Wes Ronning
Rosalind Reed Associates
Rayma and Kent Rose
Manjiri Rose
Cassidy Rosen
Carol Rosenbaum
Alan Rosenblum
Philip Rosenthal
Catherine and Ford Ross
Terie and Gary Roubos
Patricia Rowe
Ed Rubenstein, CHFC
Kristen Rubis
Robin and Scott Ruff
Teresa Ruiz and Manuel Fierro Parra
Ronda Russ
Lori Russell
Agnes and Dennis Ryan
Gary Ryan
Thomas Ryan
Javier Saade
Jan and Frederick Sackbauer, III
Caroline Sada
Stacy Sadler
Ronald Saliman
Salon Axis
Salon Nouveau
Robert Salovitch
Anna Salvadore
Kristina Sampson
The ladies (and gentlemen) of Cordillera celebrated Pad the Bra this year at the Micati home, raising funds to bring 3D mammography to the valley.
Leesa Samuels
Herman Sanders
Patricia and Leonard Sandoval
Richard Sandoval
Stacey and Jay Sapp
Thomas Saunders, U.S.A. Ret.
Adam Savin
Pam Saxon
Pietrina Saxton
The Sebastian Hotel
Jamie Schauss
Sally Schauss
P.K. Scheerle and Bruce Bolyard
Jeff Schell
Nicole Schelter
Robert Schilling
Ann Schimmel
Carol Schimmer
Julie Schlossinger
Juergen Schmeja
Leslie Schmid
Ellen Schmidt
William Schmidt
Nancy and John Schneider
Foundation
Susie and Brad Schneider
Susan and Eric Schneider
Jean and Leonard Schneiderman
Karlheinz Schoenberger
Lillian and John Schoening
Herbert Schorpp
Tom Schorr
Pamela and Thomas Schouten
Carole Schragen
Jill and Scott Schreiner
Mary Jane and Charles Schultz
Diane and Louis Schultz
John Schumacher
Gina Schwartz
Alan Schwed
Gail Schwinger
Jack Scott
Karen Scott
Dale Seal
Elizabeth Smith and William Seed
Kitty Banner Seemann
Carole Segal
Susan Senter
Linda Sepp
Sue Sewell
Shaun and Bradley Seymour
Judy and Robert Shackouls
Pamela and George Shaeffer
Jeff Shainholtz
Nancy and Stephen Shane, CLU, CHFC
Patricia Shanks
Maureen and Les Shapiro
Carol Sharer
Joyce Sharp
Hobie Sheeder
Marisa and William Sheehan
Cynthia Strauss and Harry Sherr
Charles Sherwood
Scott Sherwood
John Shillington
Carolyn and G.K. Shurb
Jamie Sidle
Muriel and William Sidwell
Leah and Michael Sievers
Bart Sigler
Catherine and Peter Silbernagel
Karen Silverman
Suzanne and Mark Silverthorn
Robert Sim
Michael Simmonds
Shelley and William Simmons
Liz Simonton
Kris Sims
Stephen Sinacore
Jill Sinding
Charles Singer
Elaine Singleton
Ken Singleton
Singletree Property Owners Association
Rita and Scott Skelton
Kindra Skluzacek
Andre Skweir
John Slack, MD
Ronald Slates
Eva and Timothy Slattery
Laurie and Gene Slaughter
Page and Michael Slevin
Beth and Rodney Slifer
Suzanne Sloan
Douglas Slothower
Kay Small
Brittany Smith
Chance Smith
Denis Smith
Eric Smith
Graham Smith
Julie Smith
Kelley Smith
Nancy Smith
Becky and Pete Smith
Randy Smith
Jean and Ben Smusz
Craig Snapp
Elizabeth Snorf
Barbara Snow
Margie and Larry Snow
Kate and Pete Snowden
Brett Snyder
Elizabeth Snyder
Heath Snyder
Debra and Gregory Sokolik
Lauren and Berton Solomon
Joan and Bob Solon
Rochelle Some
Christie and Scott Somes
Kathleen Sommer
Patty Sommerville Cuny
Deborah Sopinsky
South Dakota Trust Company
Lisa Spagnolie
Sue Ann Spahr and Richard Kinsler
Carole Spanel
Elizabeth Spanel
Kathleen Spanel
Lorraine Spargo
Specialty Sports Venture, LLC
Robyn Specthrie
Stephanie Spence
Carol and Roger Sperry
Gina and Steve Spessard
Matt and Michelle Spidell
Susan and Chris Spiegel
Frank Spratlen
Judy Spresney
Scott Spresney
Jason Sproles
Peter Stadler
Kiersten Stais
Jerry Stanley
Kevin Stanley
Ruth Stanley
Starbuck Surveyors
Pam and Jim Starr
Frank Stasiowski
Marissa Stauffer
Molly Stautzenberger
Gay and Richard
Steadman, MD
Lynda and Peter Sampson
Stacy Silverwood
Marilyn and James Steane, II
Steve Evancho
Fargo-Moorhead Area
Foundation
Cindy and Mark Fliginger
Nora Fryklund
Shannon and Mark Hayman
Katherine Campbell and Duane Helleloid
A. Bart Holaday
Mary and Terry Karkela
Susan and Brian Kraft
Madeira on Marco Island Condo
Gary Marsden
Ann and Robert McConn, Jr.
Jennifer and Jay Neppel
Tim O'Keefe
Barbara and Allen Olson
Frederic Oudoul
Cynthia and Gregory Page
Linda Pancratz
Gayle and Terry Pope
Lyn and Richard Reis
Marcia Richey
P.K. Scheerle and Bruce Bolyard
Gina Schwartz
Jack Scott
Shaun and Bradley Seymour
Catherine and Peter Silbernagel
Kate and Pete Snowden
South Dakota
Trust Company
The Barry Foundation
Cathleen Turgeon
Kimberlee and Stephen Tyre
Thomas Wold
Memorial Sandy Pickford
Matt and Michelle Spidell
Memorial Clinton Renney
Margie and Lawrence Kyte, Jr.
Memorial Marjorie Roberts
Luciano (Barney) Lusina
Ann Phelps
Roberts Family Foundation
Memorial William Sargent
Mary and Seth Barsky
Memorial Nancy Secor
Ann and Doc Cornwell
Memorial Joe Smead
Jim Jones
Memorial Frank Smith
Dee and Warren Androus
Jo Dee Bowen
Cindy and Dave Bright
Bill Cohagen
Joel Cox
Suzy and Jim Donohue
Jenny and Wendell Erwin
Ginny and John Forstmann
Linda and John Galvin
Grace Harrigan
Inmark
Cathy and Richard Johnson
Alexia and Jerry Jurschak
Diana and Jim Kaylor
Barbara and Tim Kelley
Holly and Kevin Kenny
Sandi and Skip Kinsley
Cornelia and Donald Kraft
Dr. and Mrs.
Bruce Malone
Leslie and Jack Manes
Carolyn and Rolland
McGinnis
Peggy and Vaughn Morgan
Diane and Eric Neste
Dorothy and Henry Norton
Carol and Michael Osgood
Diane and Roy Parrott
RD Richardson
Pamela and Thomas Schouten
Beth and Rodney Slifer
Temperatsure
VHC Joint Venture
Diane and Jim Viers
William Vogt
Carole and Mike Watters
Karin and Bob Weber
Patti and Ron Weinstein
Robert Wilhelm
Betsy and Bud Wright
Memorial Warren Stanchina
Jo Stanchina
Memorial Michael Stanley
Rita and Kenneth Lewis
Memorial Bonnie Swarsen
Mr. and Mrs. Jean Casou
Deerfield High School
Class of 1964
Amy and James Deuble
Christine and Bob Gould
Leah and Michael Sievers
Barbara and Jeffrey Vender
Bev Linkletter and Paul Weiden, MD
Memorial Sue Zastrow
Lynn and John Gottlieb, MD
IN HONOR OF
Sue Arford
Susan Talucci
Charmayne and Charles Bernhardt
Jean and Paul Corcoran, DDS
Charla Blizzard
Brush Creek Elementary School
B. Goggins
Robert Boykin
Larry Eilts
Gene Branscome
Katherine Whitman
Gayle Braunholtz, MD
Jane and Thomas DeBenedetto
Jessica French
Henrik Brusletto
Ingegard Fehr
Katherine and Jim Clancy
Missy and David Hoster
Ty Collins
Rindy and Barry Townsend
Paula Conwell
Maria Bender
Richard Cunningham, MD
Barbara and Gary Rende
Jean and Ben Smusz
Lucy and Ron Davis
Carol and Ronnie Goldman
Edward Dent, MD
Anna Policastri
G. Dittones
Betty Gerstley, MD
Jack Eck, MD
Fred Distelhorst, DDS
Barbara and Tim Kelley
Sue and Greg Lickus
Mary Reese
Cynthia Strauss and Harry Sherr
Kristin and David Williams
Johanna Farrar
Pinon Real Estate Group
Reginald Franciose, MD
Mary Ann Johnston
Sandra and D.F. Newman
Rena Paterson
Ross Freed
Robert Schilling
Larry Gaul, MD
Patricia and Joel Anderson
John Comer
Clairlee Hawn-Hirsch and Robert Hirsch
Ed Rubenstein, CHFC
James K. Griffeth
Larry Eilts
Jean Hadley, MD
Carol and Hale Moore
Barry Hammaker, MD
Jane and Thomas DeBenedetto
Patricia Hardenbergh, MD
Mark Lenfest
Susan Mirus
Nancy and John Schneider Foundation
Cherina and Kep Heinitz
Pinon Real Estate Group
Amy and Scott Hudgins
Kelly and Michael Gottlieb
Lois and Jerry Jacobs
Trudy and Bob Walsh
Diana Johnson
L. William Kay, II
Ronald Linton
Christiane Gras
Mario Lobo
Sheila Whitman
Brenda and Joe McHugh
Carol Desmond
Elise and Vic Micati
Deb and Dan Luginbuhl
Peter Millett, MD
Jim Malernee, Jr.
Erin Monroe and All Other
Fighters and Survivors
Erin Monroe
Annie Peterson
Karl Barth
Katherine Quinn, RN
Jessica French
Danelle Rivera
Louis DuPree
Becky Ross
Nancy Walrath
Shaw Regional Cancer Center
Bonnie and Jim Hamilton
John Slack, MD
Patricia and Joel Anderson
John Comer
Clairlee Hawn-Hirsch and Robert Hirsch
Barbara and Gary Rende
Richard Steadman, MD
Thomas Saunders, U.S.A. Ret.
Barbara Steele
Kate and Ronald Steele
Mark Stephens, MD
Jackie and James Power
William Sterett, MD
Mark Lenfest
Thomas Saunders, U.S.A. Ret.
Emmie Urquhart
Julie Hollander
Eagle County businesses united to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout the month of October. Funds supported “The Gap Fund,” helping women in need cover the gap their insurances don’t pay.
Rebecca and Christopher Hooper
Katie Hoyt
Todd Huck
Rex Ingram
Inmark
Victoria and Steven Jacobson
Sherri Jaksha
JBS
Cheryl and Bill Jensen
Michelle Jirenec and John Fee
Amanda Johnson
Raenette Johnson
Susanne and Ted Johnson
Jim Jones
Alexia and Jerry Jurschak
Gay and George Kapplinger
Brice Karsh
Diana and Jim Kaylor
Barbara and Tim Kelley
Sandra and Thomas Kelly, MD
Elaine and Arthur Kelton, Jr.
Holly and Kevin Kenny
Vanessa Kerzner
Susan Kiely
Sandi and Skip Kinsley
Doris and John Kirchner
Amy Klunzinger
Theresa and Gary Klunzinger
Rosanne and James Klunzinger
Michele Kosiara
Mary Ann Koson
Susan Gordon and Roy Krochmal
Janet and Bill Lee
Tara and Bob Levine
Sue and Greg Lickus
Robin and Steve Litt
Kelly Lloyd
Kelly and David Lyle
Vanessa and Johnny Lyons
Fletcher MacNeill
Margaret and Peter Mason
Christina Mastrogiovanni
Maximum Comfort
Pool & Spa Inc.
Susan and Brandon Mays
Alison and Tim McAdam
Mark McCammon
M. Geneva McGervey
Carolyn and Rolland McGinnis
Brenda and Joe McHugh
Heather and John McInerny
Dani and Vince McNeill
Peg and Ag Meek
Mary Anne Metternick
Liz and Luc Meyer
Lisa and Bill Middlebrook
Susan Mirus
Allison and Russell Molina
Kathy and Robert Moore
Donna Moran
Peggy and Vaughn Morgan
Susan and Joseph Morrill
Robert Morris
Jeanne and Dale Mosier
Gail Nash
Peggy Nicholls
Rhonda Niederhauser
Joyce and Jim Nielsen
Amy Niswanger
Pat and Brian Nolan
Deirdre Nolan
Dorothy and Henry Norton
Vanessa and Rob Nowlin
Sheri O'Donnell
Michael O'Reilly
Carol and Michael Osgood
Lisa and David Pease
Lisa Pelchat
Janet Perdzock
John Peters
Renee Peterson and Roger Shapiro
Pinon Real Estate Group
Claudia Podgorny
Brook and David Portman
Ann and Ralph Poucher
Diane and Todd Purse
Angela Ramsey
Mary and Chris Randall
Patti Rasmussen
Mary Reese
Sara and Eric Resnick
RD Richardson
Maureen and Gerald Riordan
Sharon and Vern Ritzman
Kerry and Justin Roach
Rose Community Foundation
Cassidy Rosen
Amy Roth, PhD
Barbara and Howard Rothenberg, MD
Ann and Richard Rothkopf
Robin and Scott Ruff
Kristina Sampson
Broy Laurel and Harry Sandell
Patricia and Leonard Sandoval
Suzanne and Bernard Scharf
P.K. Scheerle and Bruce Bolyard
Carol Schimmer
Julie Schlossinger
Tom Schorr
Pamela and Thomas Schouten
Carole Schragen
Jill and Scott Schreiner
Kitty Banner Seemann
Marisa and William Sheehan
Cynthia Strauss and Harry Sherr
Karen Silverman
Suzanne and Mark Silverthorn
Page and Michael Slevin
Beth and Rodney Slifer
Nancy Smith
Debra and Gregory Sokolik
Christie and Scott Somes
Matt and Michelle Spidell
Susan and Chris Spiegel
Starbuck Surveyors
Starbucks
Pam and Jim Starr
Gay and Richard Steadman, MD
Stephen Stubbendick
Susan and Steve Suggs
Nancy and Jon Tellor
Temperatsure
Patty Thompson
Peggy Thompson
Rosemary Jo Tongish
Linda and Stewart Turley
Rosemary and Robert Tutag
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Jean Urquhart, MD and Alec Urquhart, MD
US Bank
Vail Jazz Festival
Vail Valley Concours, LLC
Vail Valley Foundation
Vail Valley Surgery Center, LLC
Jen and George Vanderhoof
I give to Pink Vail because it is my favorite ski day of the year and I know how much it means to support the patients and cancer survivors at Shaw. I feel good about helping to make treatment easier and to make survivors stronger and healthier than before they had cancer."
Kathy and James Vosberg
VVMC Volunteer Corps
Susan and Tom Washing
Carole and Mike Watters
Karin and Bob Weber
Deborah Webster and Stephen Blanchard
Patti and Ron Weinstein
Kathryn Weller
Wells Fargo Private Bank
Andrew Wendt
Joseph White
Stanley Whittemore
Vali and Willy Wilcox
Robert Wilhelm
Kristin and David Williams
Colleen and David Wirth
Betty Ann and John Woodland, MD
Betsy and Bud Wright
Barry Zvibleman
SHAW OUTREACH TEAM TRIBUTE GIFTS
IN MEMORY OF
Dale Aden
Rose and Dean Aden
Shirlee Aden
Rhonda Allen-Hickman and Michael Hickman
Anne Clark
Linda Cormack
Mary Ann Derryberry
Suzy and Jim Donohue
Nora Fryklund
Wendy Gilbertson
Bobbi and Gene Hagerman
Diane and Robert Holmes
Glenn Huwa
JBS
Diane Larsen, PC
Karen and Greg Latham
Jean Latham
Virginia Morris
Martin Nash
OSI Industries
Lois and Richard Bruce
Rebecca and Paul Brun
Ruth and Barry Bucher
Steve Burmeister
Veronica and Paco Calderon
Peggy Carey
Judie and John Chain, Jr.
Cynthia and John Chase
Lyon Chavez
Chippen Nails
Victoria and Terrell Clampitt
Aaron Coburn
Kitchen Collage
David Courtney
Paige Cregon
Nancy and Andrew Cruce
Paige and Chris Cumming
Lucy and Ron Davis
Sandi Dean
Denise Delaney and Glenn Bourland
Sheila Dell'Osso
Kathleen and Jack Eck, MD
Lainie Edinburg and Joel Kaye
Peggy and Gary Edwards
Linda and Robert Egan
Joyce and Stephen Evans
Diane and Larry Feldman
Regina and Kyle Fink
Cheryl Foley
Craig Foley
Nancy and Stephen Shane, CLU, CHFC
Becky and Pete Smith
Lynn and Dennis Swanstrom
Kathleen and James Turner
L. Wylene Twombly
Bill Wailes
Michael Hollomon and Eric Wailes
Clarice and Ramon Weiss
Andrew Wendt
Linda and James Young
David Brock
Suzy and Jim Donohue
Susan and Joseph Morrill
Vanessa and Rob Nowlin
Lisa and David Pease
US Bank
IN HONOR OF SHAW OUTREACH TEAM
Greer and Jack Gardner
WOMEN OF CORDILLERA PAD
THE BRA DONORS
Annie and Tom Apple
Axel's
Madeline Read and Stephen Bandak
Collin Baugh
Judith McBride and Bruce Baumgartner
Matt Bayley
Stephanie Ben
Susannah Bene
Barbara and Jack Benson
Barbara and Barry Beracha
Eric Berg
Maxine and Jerry Bizer
Cindy and Bill Blakey
Suzanne and Fred Boettcher
Nancy Boyce
Debbie and William Brady
Patti and Ronald Brave
Marka and Jimmy Brenner
Hazel and Matthew Murray
Linda and Kirk Nelson
Julie and O.B. Nelson
Rachel Nelson and Jay Rush
Karen Nern, MD and Thomas Nern
Joyce and Jim Nielsen
Rosanne and Gary Oatey
Gail and John O'Brien
Jean and Ray Oglethorpe
Kerri Oskouei
Lorraine and Dennis Page, OD
Sue and Dennis Parker
Paula and Jim Paxton
Lisa and David Pease
Diane and David Pennock
Michele Pirozzi
Premiere Legal Advantage, Inc.
Sherry and Alex Preston
Jeanne and Michael Quagliano
Carolyn and Hollis
Rademacher
Anne and John Rainey
Carolyn and Robert Reintjes
Juniper Restaurant
Annette Reyes
Doug Rippeto
Laura and Richard Robert
Anne Roberts
Ceil and Steve Folz
Sally and Crosby Foster
Kathy and Gary Frank
Lorraine Fry
Grace and Stephen Gamble
Rondi Gifts
Terri and Scott Glasser
Nick Gordon
Megan and Tom Green
Ty Hall
Betsy and Mike Henritze
Sally and Wil Hergenrader
Polly and David Hinshaw
Cheryl Holman
Laureen Hopkins
Linda and Jay Hoyt
Carol and Richard Hunton
Sandra Jacaruso
Daryl James
Janet and Stephen Jones
Juniper Restaurant
Patty and Stanton Kamens
Diana and Jim Kaylor
Linda and Mark Kogod
Nancy and Carl Kreitler, Jr.
Margie and Lawrence Kyte, Jr.
Jim Landis
Suzi and Jim Locke
Becky Lowe
Deb and Dan Luginbuhl
Vanessa and Johnny Lyons
Kathryn and Joe Macy
Natalia and Leonard Mandor
Devinder Mangat, MD
Judy and Richard Marks
Debbie Marquez
Katherine Mathias
Donna and Jack McCarthy
Nina McLemore
Dani and Vince McNeill
Pixie and Robert Messey
Nancy Mezey-Groff
Elise and Victor Micati
Robert Miller
Sheri and Michael Mintz
Carolyn and John Moorman
Kathy Morrow
Deborah Zwick, MD and Mort Mulliken
Diane Romero
Ann and Richard Rothkopf
Richard Sandoval
Ann Schimmel
Senta Schleder
Susan and Eric Schneider
Jean and Leonard Schneiderman
Carole Schragen
Mary Jane and Charles Schultz
Diane and Louis Schultz
Shaw Outreach Team
Kris Sims
Julie Smith
Jean Graham and Philip Smith
Pamela and Richard Smith
Joan and Bob Solon
Lorraine Spargo
Stephanie Spence
Peter Stadler
Karen and Gary Steele
Meg and Michael Stepanek
Kathryn and William Stephenson
Nancy Stevens
Susan and Steve Suggs
Carla Summers
Keri and Mark Talucci
Susan Talucci
Linda and David Temin
Kim and Will Tickner
Trudo Letschert Corp.
Deanna Turner and Nicolaas Swanepoel
Rosemary and Robert Tutag
Lissa Tyler and Mike Larson
Tracey Van Curan
Lois and John Van Deusen
David Walford
Judy and Phil Walters
Janis and Roger Ward
Jan and Stephen Watson
Gunnel and Hal Weiser
Katherine Whitman
Lindsey and Patrick Wilhelm
Jane and Thomas Wilner
Barbara and Charles Wolff
Susan and Ronald Zapletal
Sherry Vanskyhawk
Susie Patterson
Tina and Stephen Vardaman
Diana and Joseph Parker
Arley and Jason Philips
Priscilla Brewster
Laura Brown
Kathleen Mundy and Fred Hessler
Zengo Zengo Restaurant
Zino Ristorante
ail Valley Medical Center is home to nearly 300 physicians. The medical center stretches throughout Eagle County, including urgent care facilities in Gypsum, Avon and Beaver Creek, as well as specialty clinics and centers for cancer diagnosis and treatment, cardiology, physical therapy, plastic surgery and uninsured primary care. The main campus in the heart of Vail is a level III trauma center, level II nursery, 58 bed hospital and home to some of the world’s most celebrated surgeons.
Shaw Regional Cancer Center specialized in personalized cancer care that focuses on the mind and body.
Vail Institute for Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery www.vvmc.com/plastics
320 Beard Creek Rd, 2nd Floor Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7656
The latest innovations in plastic surgery, with a special focus in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, breast and body contouring. Dr. Jeffrey Resnick is a board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Resnick moved his practice from Santa Monica, California, where he was on the clinical faculty at UCLA and USC for 20 years.
Sonnenalp Breast Imaging Center See Cancer Diagnostics & Care
CANCER DIAGNOSTICS & CARE
Shaw Regional Cancer Center
www.shawcancercenter.com
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7429
Shaw Regional Cancer Center provides high-quality, compassionate cancer care that’s close to home. With Jack’s Place, an intimate lodge that accommodates patients
and their caregivers, Shaw is the premier cancer center for residents and second homeowners from across Colorado. By combining the expertise of highly trained physicians and cancer specialists with advanced technology and the healing powers of nature, compassion, fitness and nutrition, Shaw Regional Cancer Center provides an innovative, holistic approach that empowers cancer patients to become cancer survivors.
Providers: Patricia Hardenbergh, MD, Alexander Urquhart, MD, Mike Glodé, MD, The Mountain Surgical Associates group, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Radiology, Pathology
Sonnenalp Breast Imaging Center
www.vvmc.com/breasthealth
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7690
Established in 2002, the Sonnenalp Breast Center provides the most sophisticated technology available for breast imaging and diagnosis of breast cancer in the Rocky Mountains, including 3D mammography. The Breast Center features a relaxing, spa-inspired interior in a private setting. The knowledgeable and compassionate radiologists, patient navigator and mammography technologists provide the best care and expertise to guide patients in pursuit of breast health.
Jack’s Place, A Cancer Caring House
www.vvmc.com/jacksplace
332 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7644
Jack’s Place provides convenient and comfortable day or overnight lodging for patients and a caregiver while receiving treatment at
Shaw Regional Cancer Center. Jack’s Place, with a pay-whatyou-can philosophy, treats the spirit with a yoga studio, tai chi classes, massage, meditation room, gourmet kitchen and library. Jack’s place was built and funded by the Shaw Outreach Team.
Shaw Breast Center & Cancer Clinic – Frisco www.shawcancercenter.com
323 West Main Street, Suite 101 | Frisco, CO 80443 | (970) 668-8970
Open Summer 2014
Shaw Breast Center and Cancer Clinic in Frisco offers the latest in breast screening, including 3D mammography, in our new, convenient location in Frisco, Co. The clinic will also offer infusion treatments and provide the greatest knowledge and compassion for patients.
Colorado Mountain Medical
See Primary Care
Endocrinology Clinic www.vvmc.com/endo (970) 477-5160
320 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632
377 Sylvan Lake Road Eagle, CO 81631
730 North Summit Boulevard #102 | Frisco, CO 80443
108 South Frontage Road West, Suite 306 Vail, CO 81657
Endocrinology specializes in diabetes, thyroid disorders, metabolic and weight disorders, menopause and hormone therapy, osteoporosis, adrenal gland disorders and pituitary disease.
Eye Center of the Rockies www.eyecenterrockies.com
232 Broadway Street | Eagle, CO 81631 | (970) 928-0105
Eye Center of the Rockies provides eye care and ophthalmology including medical and surgical care for cataracts, glaucoma, retina and LASIK. Currently, Dr. Ehrlich is the only ophthalmologist who practices full-time in Eagle County and sees patients (including children) for routine eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions and contact lens fittings.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
IF
Vail Valley Medical Center
Emergency Department www.vvmc.com/emergency
181 W. Meadow Drive Vail, CO 81657 (970) 479-7225
Open Mon – Sun, 24 hrs
Vail Valley Medical Center
Emergency Department (ED) is a 24-hour facility staffed by Board Certified emergency physicians. A Level III Trauma Center, emergency trauma care is provided to infants, pediatrics, adolescents, adults and geriatrics.
Beaver Creek Medical Center
1280 Village Road | Avon, CO 81620 (970) 949-0800
Open Mon – Sun, 8 AM – 5:30 PM During ski season only Beaver Creek Medical Center is located in Beaver Creek Village. The clinic offers emergency care services with a 12-bed treatment area, two of which are critical care. X-ray, lab services, occupational health services, wound, orthopaedic and respiratory care is available on-site. No appointment is needed. Open during ski season only.
Avon Urgent Care
230 Chapel Place | Avon, CO 81658 (970) 949-6100
Open Mon - Sun, 8 AM – 8 PM
Gypsum Urgent Care
410 McGregor Drive Gypsum, CO 81637 (970) 777-2800
Open Mon - Sun, 11 AM - 8 PM
Avon and Gypsum Urgent Cares are both equipped to manage most emergency medical situations, including wound, orthopaedic and respiratory care. They also feature critical care trained nurses, on-site x-ray and lab services such as urinalysis, quick strep, influenza, pregnancy, occult blood and glucose testing. Appointments are not necessary.
Abrasions, bruises, scrapes and lacerations
Cough, cold, fever and flu symptoms
Respiratory or urinary tract infections
Ear, eye, nose and skin infections
Minor burns
Minor fractures
Sprains and strains
Intestinal illness, including dehydration
Mountain Surgcal Associates www.vvmc.com/surgeons
181 W. Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-5036
Located within Vail Valley Medical Center, Mountain Surgical Associates is known for their expertise in emergency and trauma care, the surgeons are experts in:
• General surgery: abdominal, thoracic & endocrine
• Cancer surgery: breast, colon and rectal, endocrine, lung and melanoma
• Laparoscopic surgery: hernia repair, gall bladder, colon and reflux disease
Providers: Barry Hammaker, MD, FACS, Reginald Franciose, MD, FACS, James Downey, MD, FACS, John F. Schultz, MD, and Jason Moore, PhD, PA-C
Wound & Ostomy Clinic www.vvmc.com/woundcare
181 W. Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-5036
Using advanced wound care treatments designed to accelerate the healing process and maximize patient comfort, the care team specializes in diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, pressure ulcers, burns and trauma and surgical wounds. Physician referral is required.
Provider: Sue Arford, RN, MSN, WOCN
For orthopaedic surgery, see orthopaedics
Vail Valley Surgery Centers www.vvmc.com/surgery
181 W. Meadow Drive Vail, CO 8165
320 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 476-8872
Vail Valley Surgery Centers are world-class, multi-specialty outpatient surgical centers, offering the finest state-ofthe-art technology, treatment and physician expertise. Located in Vail and Edwards.
Partially owned but not operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Vail Valley Surgery Center is home to some of the world's most celebrated surgeons.
Cardiology Institute www.vvmc.com/heartlung
108 S. Frontage Rd. W. #206 Vail, CO 81657 (970) 476-1110
337 Sylvan Lake Road | Eagle, CO 81631 | (970) 476-1110
Open Wednesdays
Cardiology is the medical specialty involved with treating and diagnosing conditions of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiologists evaluate the heart, treat defects and diseases of the heart; monitor irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and assist in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
Anticoagulation Clinic www.vvmc.com/heart
108 S. Frontage Rd. W. #206 Vail, CO 81657 (970) 471-4948
322 Beard Creek | Edwards, CO 81632 | (970) 471-4948
337 Sylvan Lake Road | Eagle, CO 81631 | (970) 471-4948
Vail Valley Medical Center’s Anticoagulation Clinic provides convenient care for patients taking warfarin (Coumadin®), heparin and low molecular weight heparin. These medications, also called blood thinners, control the blood’s ability to clot. Careful monitoring can prevent bleeding and clotting complications. The staff provides assessments, reviews and adjusts medications, checks for possible drug interactions, provides patient education and guides the management of blood thinners for invasive procedures. Call for appointment availability.
Cardiac Rehabilitation www.vvmc.com/cardiac180
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7780
Delivering care to individuals who have experienced a significant “heart event” or are involved in maintenance and prevention of further disease, the staff builds and monitors exercise programs and provides clinical support and education.
Cardiopulmonary Services
www.vvmc.com/respiratory
181 W. Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-7218
Cardiopulmonary medicine deals with the heart and lungs, specializing in respiratory care, cardiology, electroencephalography (EER) and sleep services. Cardiopulmonary Services provides diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to routine and critical care clients.
Dr. Samuel Brescia from Rocky Mountain Pediatric Cardiology offers a pediatric cardiology clinic, assisting patients with suspected or known heart disease from newborn to age 18. The clinic includes: cardiac stress testing, echo testing, cardiac monitoring, pediatric cardiology clinic and sleep disorder center.
Internal Medicine
www.vvmc.com/internalmed (970) 477-3090
320 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632
377 Sylvan Lake Road Eagle, CO 81631
730 North Summit Boulevard #102 | Frisco, CO 80443
108 South Frontage Road West, Suite 306 Vail, CO 81657
Internal medicine deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in adults of all ages with no problem being too big or too small. Drs. Lawrence Gaul and Dennis Lipton are board-certified internal medicine physicians, passionate about helping people live healthier lives.
Traveler’s Clinic
www.vvmc.com/travel
230 Chapel Place, Unit D 101 | Avon, CO 81620 (970) 569-7715
The Travelers Clinic is a full-service provider of
immunizations, travel medication prescriptions, medical advice and documentation for world travelers. Immunizations offered: Hepatitis A & B, Influenza, Yellow Fever, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Rabies, Meningococcal Disease, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Japanese Encephalitis, Polio, Typhoid Fever and Pneumococcal Disease. Laboratory & blood work
Laboratory
www.vvmc.com/lab
181 W. Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-7280
Walk-ins welcome: Mon – Sun, 7 AM – 8 PM
Vail Valley Medical Center Laboratory, which runs around the clock, conducts tests on specimens, like blood and body fluids, in order to get information about the health of a patient as pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. Examples include: Testing blood for ‘markers’ to determine if a patient has certain types of cancer or had a heart attack; Growing and identifying types of bacteria to determine what is causing a patient’s infection; Testing to find ‘compatible’ blood for patients that need blood transfusions.
Occupational Health Clinic www.vvmc.com/occmed
230 Chapel Place, Unit D 101 | Avon, CO 81620 (970) 569-7715
181 West Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-5085
Occupational medicine offers services specialized to the needs of employees and employers. Common services include physical exams, drug screening, injury prevention programs, vaccination programs as well as custom programs built for organizations.
VVMC's Women and Children's Center boasts one of the best nursing staffs in the region.
Kimberly’s Corner
181 Wet Meadow Drive Vail, CO 81657
Located in the atrium of the Vail Valley Medical Center, Kimberly’s Corner is a patient resource center, as well as a place for patients, guests and employees to relax. The resource center features a peaceful décor and provides computers and select books and journals.
Medical Library at Shaw Regional Cancer Center
www.vvmc.com/library
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7607
Free to the public: The Medical Library loans books, journals,
magazines, audio books, videos and children’s materials. The wide-ranging, up-todate healthcare collection is open to patients and the community. The library is home to the region’s only certified medical librarian and offers many personalized services, including reference, interlibrary loan and document delivery, material loans, databases and over 320 electronic journals.
Howard Head
Sports Medicine
See Physical Therapy
The Steadman Clinic www.thesteadmanclinic.com
181 West Meadow Drive, Suites 400 & 200 | Vail, CO 816573 | (970) 476-1100
360 Peak One Drive, Suite 340 | Frisco, CO 80443 | (970) 668-6760
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 476-1100
The Steadman Clinic is a worldrenowned orthopaedic clinic with facilities in Vail, Edwards and Frisco. Specializing in knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, hand, spine, foot and ankle injuries, The Steadman Clinic’s experience and research have led to significant advances in orthopaedics and sports medicine.
Physicians: Marc J. Philippon, MD, Randy W. Viola, MD, Donald S. Corenman, MD, D.C., David C. Karli, MD, Tom Hackett, MD, Peter J. Millett, MD, M.Sc., Thomas O. Clanton, MD, Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD and Thos Evans, MD.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Steadman Philippon Research Institute www.sprivail.org
181 West Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-9797
Founded in 1988 by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. J. Richard Steadman, the Steadman Philippon Research Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization, known throughout the world for research into the causes, prevention and treatment of orthopaedic disorders.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics www.vsortho.com
108 S. Frontage Road West (US Bank Building), Suite 300, Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 476.7220
Edwards Pharmacy specailizes in compounding, creating custom medications for taste, doze and form.
1140 Edwards Village II, B-105 | Edwards, CO 81632 | (970) 569.3240
Peak One Drive, Suite 180 Frisco, CO 80443 (970) 668.3633
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics, specializing in knee, shoulder, elbow, hand, spine, foot and ankle injuries, was founded in 1979 and has been an active part of the community since. Vail-Summit Orthopaedics’ physicians are all fellowshiptrained and take an integrated approach to injury repair and healthy recovery by creating customized treatment plans.
Physicians: Paul J. Abbott Jr., MD, Rick Cunningham, MD, Erik Dorf, MD, John Paul Elton, MD, Peter Janes, MD, Terrell Joseph, MD, Scott Raub, DO, William Sterett, MD.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Colorado Mountain Medical www.colmtmed.com
181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 800 | Vail, CO 81657 (970) 476-5695
322 Beard Creek Road, Suite 200 | Edwards, CO 81632 | (970) 926-6340
377 Sylvan Lake Road, Suite 210 | Eagle, CO 81631 | (970) 328-1650
With locations in Vail, Edwards and Eagle, Colorado Mountain Medical is home to all five Eagle County OB/GYNs, specializing in women’s health, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, urinary incontinence, infertility and in-office procedures, including Essure.
Physicians: Gale Santa Maria MD, FACOG, Cheryl Kohn, DO, Pamela Bock, MD, FACOG, Rochelle Bernstein, MD, FACOG and Keith Samuels, MD.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Women and Children’s Center www.vvmc.com/childbirth
181 West Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-7181
The Women and Children’s Center is a labor and delivery unit and a level II nursery, equipped to handle most babies born after 32 weeks or fullterm babies who have health concerns or illnesses. Home to pediatric hospitalists and neonatal nurse practitioners, the center also offers lactation counseling and childbirth classes, including natural birth seminars, breast feeding, “I Love My Sibling,” baby care and more.
Edwards Pharmacy www.vvmc.com/pharmacy
322 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 569-7676
Located at the Edwards Medical Campus, the fullservice pharmacy specializes in hormone replacement therapy, drug compounding, medicine flavoring and is an official provider of Burts Bees. A wide array of insurances are accepted and over-thecounter medications available.
Eagle Valley Pharmacy (Vail Village)
181 W. Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-7253
The only pharmacy located in Vail Village, the Eagle Valley Pharmacy is inside of Vail Valley Medical Center. The pharmacy retails over-thecounter medications, has a wide assortment of braces and accepts prescription transfers from other pharmacies in-state or out-of-state, telephone prescriptions from out-of-state doctors and multiple insurance plans (insurance card needed).
Howard Head Sports Medicine www.howardhead.com
Avon: The Westin, 126 Riverfront Lane | Avon, CO 81620 | (970) 845-9600
Beaver Creek: 1280 Village Road | Avon, CO 81620 | (970) 949-5522
Eagle: 377 Sylvan Lake Road | Eagle, CO 81631 (970) 328-6715
Edwards: 322 Beard Creek Road | Edwards, CO 81632 | (970) 569-7777
Gypsum: 52 Lundgren Boulevard | Gypsum, CO 81637 | (970) 777-2700
Vail (West Clinic): 181 West Meadow Drive | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 476-1225
Vail (East Clinic): 108 South Frontage Road West | Vail, CO 81657 | (970) 479-7291
Additional locations in Silverthorne and Frisco.
Howard Head Sports Medicine helps athletes rebuild their
body and spirit. Working closely with the planet’s top orthopaedic doctors and researchers, their progressive sports medicine protocols are reshaping physical therapy worldwide.
Services: Aquatic Therapy, Dry Needling, Hand Therapy, Lymphedema Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, Pilates, Sports Rehabilitation, Total Joint Therapy, Vestibular Rehabilitation and Women’s Health.
Colorado Mountain Medical www.colmtmed.com
181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 800 | Vail, CO 81657 (970) 476-7600
322 Beard Creek Road, Suite 200 | Edwards, CO 81632 | (970) 926-6340
377 Sylvan Lake Road, Suite 210 | Eagle, CO 81631 (970) 328-1650
Colorado Mountain Medical is a team of primary care physicians and specialists including Ear, Nose and Throat, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. The providers offer total family care, emphasizing wellness and preventative medicine, as well as treatment of illness or injury.
Family Medicine Physicians: Jen Bettenhausen, MD, Ed Dent, MD, Jon Feeney, MD, Jean Hadley, MD, Eric Olson, DO, Marc Peck, MD, Diane Voytko, MD, Steve Yarberry, MD, Susan Vickerman, DO, JerriLu Atkins, MD
Internal Medicine Physicians: Mark Stephens, MD, Mindy Cooper, MD, William Foutz, MD
OB/GYN Physicians: Gale Santa Maria, MD, FACOG, Cheryl Kohn, DO, Pamela Bock, MD, FACOG, Rochelle Bernstein, MD, FACOG, Keith Samuels, MD
Pediatric Physicians: Janet Engle, MD, Leslie Fishman, MD
Ear, Nose & Throat Providers: Casey Strahan, MD
Gastroenterology & Hepatology Physician: Stephen Laird, MD, MS
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Mountain Family Health Center: Edwards www.mountainfamily.org
320 Beard Creek Road Edwards, CO 81632 (970) 945-2840
Colorado Mountain Medical www.cmmhealth.com (970) 926-6340
Howard Head Sports Medicine is the region's leading physical therapy provider and has nine locations throughout Eagle and Summit counties.
Mountain Family Health Center provides high-quality, integrated primary, behavioral and dental healthcare with special consideration for the medically underserved, regardless of ability to pay.
See Cardiopulmonary Services under Heart & Lung
The board certified urologists have decades of experience in adult and pediatric urology. In addition to general urology care, the urologists diagnose and treat many conditions of the urinary tract, including enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), kidney stones, prostate cancer, low testosterone, incontinence (including non-surgical options), bladder cancer and more. They also perform many office and surgical procedures, including vasectomy.
Not owned or operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Owned and operated by Vail Valley Medical Center.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Colorado Mountain Medical
Edwards Care Clinic
Edwards Pharmacy
Endocrinology
Howard Head (PT)
Internal Medicine
Mountain Family Health Centers: Edwards
Shaw Regional Cancer Center
Sonnenalp Breast Center
The Steadman Clinic
Urology Services
Vail Institute for Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery
Vail Valley Surgery Center — Edwards
Occupational Health
The Traveler’s Clinic
Cardiology Institute
Cardiopulmonary Services
Colorado Mountain Medical
Eagle Valley Pharmacy
Endocrinology
Emergency Department
Howard Head (PT)
Internal Medicine
Mountain Surgical Associates
The Steadman Clinic
Steadman Philippon Research Institute
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics
Vail Valley Surgery Center
Women & Children’s Center
Wound Care Clinic
Net Patient Service Revenue 211,523,939
Provision for Bad Debt (14,617,996)
Other Operating Revenue 14,839,677
Net Asset Release from Restrictions 355,275 Total Revenue: 212,100,895 EXPENSES
Salaries, wages and benefits
Shaw Regional Cancer Center saw a 96.9% fiveyear survival rate for Stage I breast cancer patients, nearly 5% greater than the national average.
Think First educated over 12,000 people about brain and spinal cord injuries and gave out 790 bike helmets and 189 ski helmets.
VVMC has an impressively low number of surgical site infections. In 2013, VVMC saw about 1/4 the number of infections predicted using criteria set by CDC. The predicted surgical site infection rate was 1% and VVMC only saw a rate of 0.28% infections.
VVMC’s Cardiac Disease Prevention Screening saw 247 underserved Eagle County residents, resulting in an average of -18 points in total cholesterol, -27 points in LDL and increased physical activity (34.9%) and decrease in high fat foods (22.8%).
VVMC added Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and enhanced The Cardiology Institute in 2013.
Pink Vail raised $350,000 to support cancer survivors and won best healthcare event in Colorado.
Howard Head Sports Medicine staff contributed to publishing 8 research articles in peer-reviewed academic journals — advancing the science of physical therapy and sports medicine.
Dr. Peter Millett was selected as a Top 28 U.S. Shoulder Surgeon by Orthopedics This Week
Number
Number of Surgeries Performed 7,198
VVMC Marketing Department won 8 Colorado Healthcare Communicator Awards — more top honors than any other healthcare organization in the state and included Judges Choice Nonprofit Project of the Year for Vail Health Magazine.
What brings patients to us is our impeccable reputation, Ivy League doctors, and top-of-the-line equipment – including a new Linear Accelerator and 3D mammography. But it’s the rest of the care, courtesy of a dietician, exercise physiologists, nurse navigator and a complimentary 12-room cancer caring lodge in a stunning setting, that keeps everyone’s spirits lifted to their absolute peak.