<![CDATA[UCHealth Newsroom]]> https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/ en-us Sun, 13 Sep 2026 15:37:00 +0200 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:33:04 +0200 <![CDATA[UCHealth Newsroom]]> https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_2947.jpeg https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/ 144 ESPN | Colorado coach Deion Sanders proclaims himself 'cancer-free' https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/espn--colorado-coach-deion-sanders-proclaims-himself-cancer-free/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/espn--colorado-coach-deion-sanders-proclaims-himself-cancer-free/763071Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said he feels like his old -- and younger -- self again a year after undergoing surgery to remove his cancerous bladder. "I consider myself cancer-free," thanks to robotic surgery that also reconstructed the bladder using part of an intestine, Sanders told The Associated Press after getting a tutorial in the surgical system that was used in his operation... At a routine checkup last spring, a CT scan showed a mass on Sanders' bladder. He was referred to the University of Colorado Anschutz, where he met Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Sanders, who turns 59 later this summer, was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. Although the tumor hadn't reached the muscle layer in his bladder, it was considered "very high risk" with a 50-50 chance of recurring or progressing after treatments. Kukreja is among the small group of surgeons in the U.S. who perform robotic removal of the entire cancerous bladder -- called a radical cystectomy -- and robotic reconstruction of the organ, which involves having a section of intestine function as a bladder.

]]>Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said he feels like his old -- and younger -- self again a year after undergoing surgery to remove his cancerous bladder. "I consider myself cancer-free," thanks to robotic surgery that also reconstructed the bladder using part of an intestine, Sanders told The Associated Press after getting a tutorial in the surgical system that was used in his operation... At a routine checkup last spring, a CT scan showed a mass on Sanders' bladder. He was referred to the University of Colorado Anschutz, where he met Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Sanders, who turns 59 later this summer, was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. Although the tumor hadn't reached the muscle layer in his bladder, it was considered "very high risk" with a 50-50 chance of recurring or progressing after treatments. Kukreja is among the small group of surgeons in the U.S. who perform robotic removal of the entire cancerous bladder -- called a radical cystectomy -- and robotic reconstruction of the organ, which involves having a section of intestine function as a bladder.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:33:04 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/a6c3209a-fa45-459c-a606-f432686c097e/500_espn.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/a6c3209a-fa45-459c-a606-f432686c097e/espn.jpg?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | Robotic pets bring comfort and companionship to UCHealth patients https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--robotic-pets-bring-comfort-and-companionship-to-uchealth-patients/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--robotic-pets-bring-comfort-and-companionship-to-uchealth-patients/763065Nurse manager Becky Fehlig shares how the innovative program is helping patients feel happier, calmer and more connected.

]]>Nurse manager Becky Fehlig shares how the innovative program is helping patients feel happier, calmer and more connected.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:03:00 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000 CNN | The healthcare sector emerges as a lifeline for struggling job seekers https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/cnn--the-healthcare-sector-emerges-as-a-lifeline-for-struggling-job-seekers/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/cnn--the-healthcare-sector-emerges-as-a-lifeline-for-struggling-job-seekers/763063While millions of Americans are struggling to find jobs in a tough labor market, healthcare is emerging as a lifeline for career changers. After six years as a stay-at-home mother, Cynthia Webster, 50, planned last year to reenter the workforce, bracing for a potentially frustrating job search. So Webster, who had no healthcare sector experience, signed up for a six-week training course through her local hospital in Palm Bay, Florida, that cost her less than $2,000…UCHealth, a health system based in Colorado that employs around 37,000 people, currently has dozens of job openings that have nothing to do with healthcare, ranging from accounts payable analyst to HVAC mechanic. “Healthcare is kind of like a small city,” said Angela Spinelli, senior director of talent acquisition at UCHealth. “We have all manner of positions available, from finance to HR, all of the above, so there’s something for everyone.” The system also offers training for employees who want to move up or even pivot into patient-facing healthcare jobs, such as nursing. UCHealth has eliminated high school and GED requirements for many entry-level roles in order to “get more people in the door,” Spinelli said.

]]>While millions of Americans are struggling to find jobs in a tough labor market, healthcare is emerging as a lifeline for career changers. After six years as a stay-at-home mother, Cynthia Webster, 50, planned last year to reenter the workforce, bracing for a potentially frustrating job search. So Webster, who had no healthcare sector experience, signed up for a six-week training course through her local hospital in Palm Bay, Florida, that cost her less than $2,000…UCHealth, a health system based in Colorado that employs around 37,000 people, currently has dozens of job openings that have nothing to do with healthcare, ranging from accounts payable analyst to HVAC mechanic. “Healthcare is kind of like a small city,” said Angela Spinelli, senior director of talent acquisition at UCHealth. “We have all manner of positions available, from finance to HR, all of the above, so there’s something for everyone.” The system also offers training for employees who want to move up or even pivot into patient-facing healthcare jobs, such as nursing. UCHealth has eliminated high school and GED requirements for many entry-level roles in order to “get more people in the door,” Spinelli said.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:01:05 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/32ebfc3a-3160-4f1f-906f-05b3fd715295/500_cnn.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/32ebfc3a-3160-4f1f-906f-05b3fd715295/cnn.png?10000 KMGH-TV (Denver) | Survivor of the attack on the Boulder Pearl Street Mall participates in the 2026 BOLDERBoulder https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--survivor-of-the-attack-on-the-boulder-pearl-street-mall-participates-in-the-2026-bolderboulder/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--survivor-of-the-attack-on-the-boulder-pearl-street-mall-participates-in-the-2026-bolderboulder/763061In the massive crowd at the BOLDERBoulder is one man with an extraordinary story. He would prefer to stay under the radar but said the team he is running with says it all. On June 1, 2025, Dr. Louis Diamond left his home with his wife. For the first time, he headed to Pearl Street in Boulder to walk for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas at the time. He didn't come home for five and a half weeks. When he did come back, his house looked exactly as he left it, but everything had changed. Diamond is one of several people hurt when a man showed up and started throwing molotov cocktails at them. He was burned on both legs and on his arms, covering 20% of his body. His wife even more seriously hurt. They were both rushed to the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center at CU Anschutz. One year later, Diamond isn’t ready to share on camera but insisted we meet the team that helped save his life. "I saw Lou almost on a daily basis in the hospital," Dr. Arek Wiktor, director of the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center at CU Anschutz, said.

]]>In the massive crowd at the BOLDERBoulder is one man with an extraordinary story. He would prefer to stay under the radar but said the team he is running with says it all. On June 1, 2025, Dr. Louis Diamond left his home with his wife. For the first time, he headed to Pearl Street in Boulder to walk for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas at the time. He didn't come home for five and a half weeks. When he did come back, his house looked exactly as he left it, but everything had changed. Diamond is one of several people hurt when a man showed up and started throwing molotov cocktails at them. He was burned on both legs and on his arms, covering 20% of his body. His wife even more seriously hurt. They were both rushed to the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center at CU Anschutz. One year later, Diamond isn’t ready to share on camera but insisted we meet the team that helped save his life. "I saw Lou almost on a daily basis in the hospital," Dr. Arek Wiktor, director of the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center at CU Anschutz, said.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:57:55 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/500_metrodenver7.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/metrodenver7.png?10000 KCNC-TV (Denver) | Nurses throw surprise graduation for Colorado School of Mines senior diagnosed with cancer https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--nurses-throw-surprise-graduation-for-colorado-school-of-mines-senior-diagnosed-with-cancer/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--nurses-throw-surprise-graduation-for-colorado-school-of-mines-senior-diagnosed-with-cancer/763060A Colorado School of Mines senior recently diagnosed with leukemia graduated in the halls of his oncology ward in a surprise ceremony put together by his care team…Days before graduation, Colorado School of Mines senior David Boylan got a stomachache. When it intensified, he went to urgent care and then the ER, where a high white blood cell count raised serious concerns. "Within those labs, they saw something wrong with his blood counts, being his white blood cell count and his hemoglobin, his platelets, and within that determined that he was pretty high risk of having some kind of blood disorder at that point. And that's when he got sent over to us, and that's kind of our specialty," said Alex Meier, a registered nurse in the UCHealth Bone Marrow Transplant Unit…The diagnosis meant that crossing the commencement stage was not an option; Boylan needed immediate treatment. Come graduation day, instead of tossing his cap, Boylan found himself preparing for his first round of chemotherapy…"Cancer is not picky, and it oftentimes shows up in times when no one would expect it," said Elise Slater, charge nurse at the UCHealth Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. "I just felt for him, and then quickly pivoted to, like, 'Well, what can we do?'" But little did Boylan know, the nurses caring for him had something up their sleeves.

]]>A Colorado School of Mines senior recently diagnosed with leukemia graduated in the halls of his oncology ward in a surprise ceremony put together by his care team…Days before graduation, Colorado School of Mines senior David Boylan got a stomachache. When it intensified, he went to urgent care and then the ER, where a high white blood cell count raised serious concerns. "Within those labs, they saw something wrong with his blood counts, being his white blood cell count and his hemoglobin, his platelets, and within that determined that he was pretty high risk of having some kind of blood disorder at that point. And that's when he got sent over to us, and that's kind of our specialty," said Alex Meier, a registered nurse in the UCHealth Bone Marrow Transplant Unit…The diagnosis meant that crossing the commencement stage was not an option; Boylan needed immediate treatment. Come graduation day, instead of tossing his cap, Boylan found himself preparing for his first round of chemotherapy…"Cancer is not picky, and it oftentimes shows up in times when no one would expect it," said Elise Slater, charge nurse at the UCHealth Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. "I just felt for him, and then quickly pivoted to, like, 'Well, what can we do?'" But little did Boylan know, the nurses caring for him had something up their sleeves.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:53:06 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/500_metrocbsco.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/metrocbsco.png?10000 TODAY | Mom, 38, Was Dying of Melanoma That Started on Her Ear Until New Therapy Saved Her Life https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/today--mom-38-was-dying-of-melanoma-that-started-on-her-ear-until-new-therapy-saved-her-life/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/today--mom-38-was-dying-of-melanoma-that-started-on-her-ear-until-new-therapy-saved-her-life/763058Jennifer Melahn endured an ear amputation and other treatments that didn't stop the melanoma from spreading. She had months left to live until she tried a “last ditch effort." “I had told her that without any successful therapy, her prognosis was less than three to four months,” says Dr. Theresa Medina, an oncologist at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Melahn’s life depended on the success of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are the body’s own immune cells. They can recognize and invade a cancerous mass, but they can be “turned off” by signals from the tumor or unable to attack the cancer cells for other reasons, Medina explains. There may also be too few of them to do the job, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation. In TIL therapy, these immune cells are removed from the tumor, enhanced and multiplied in a lab. Billions of them are then infused back into the patient.

]]>Jennifer Melahn endured an ear amputation and other treatments that didn't stop the melanoma from spreading. She had months left to live until she tried a “last ditch effort." “I had told her that without any successful therapy, her prognosis was less than three to four months,” says Dr. Theresa Medina, an oncologist at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Melahn’s life depended on the success of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are the body’s own immune cells. They can recognize and invade a cancerous mass, but they can be “turned off” by signals from the tumor or unable to attack the cancer cells for other reasons, Medina explains. There may also be too few of them to do the job, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation. In TIL therapy, these immune cells are removed from the tumor, enhanced and multiplied in a lab. Billions of them are then infused back into the patient.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:46:00 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0cc0d210-457a-46f3-9703-7da26f02fc5d/500_nbcnational.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0cc0d210-457a-46f3-9703-7da26f02fc5d/nbcnational.png?10000 KKTV-TV | UCHealth Parkview in Pueblo brings in lung biopsy robot to help detect disease earlier https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--uchealth-parkview-in-pueblo-brings-in-lung-biopsy-robot-to-help-detect-disease-earlier/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--uchealth-parkview-in-pueblo-brings-in-lung-biopsy-robot-to-help-detect-disease-earlier/763056Patients in Southern Colorado being tested for lung diseases have access to a new tool designed to reach areas of the lung that were previously difficult or impossible to sample. At UCHealth Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, pulmonologist Dr. Joshiah Gordon is using the Ion robotic bronchoscopy system, technology he says helps the hospital deliver “premier level” care. “They survive with better quality of life. We’re at high altitude. So, oxygen is always an issue when you resect to the lung,” Gordon said. “The smaller we can get these nodules diagnosed, the better the outcome.” UCHealth said its diagnosis rates are now above 90%, compared to at or below 80% with prior technology.

]]>Patients in Southern Colorado being tested for lung diseases have access to a new tool designed to reach areas of the lung that were previously difficult or impossible to sample. At UCHealth Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, pulmonologist Dr. Joshiah Gordon is using the Ion robotic bronchoscopy system, technology he says helps the hospital deliver “premier level” care. “They survive with better quality of life. We’re at high altitude. So, oxygen is always an issue when you resect to the lung,” Gordon said. “The smaller we can get these nodules diagnosed, the better the outcome.” UCHealth said its diagnosis rates are now above 90%, compared to at or below 80% with prior technology.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:35:12 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/500_springskktv.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/springskktv.png?10000 PEOPLE | Paralyzed Man Gets Brain-Computer Implant in Breakthrough Procedure That Helped Restore Feeling in His Fingers https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/people--paralyzed-man-gets-brain-computer-implant-in-breakthrough-procedure-that-helped-restore-feeling-in-his-fingers/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/people--paralyzed-man-gets-brain-computer-implant-in-breakthrough-procedure-that-helped-restore-feeling-in-his-fingers/763055A man who became paralyzed nine years ago has become a pioneer for a new kind of neurotechnology. Brandon Patterson, 41, had surgery in Colorado to install a brain-computer interface into the cortex of his brain, where higher functioning brain activity is located — marking the first time this has ever happened in the world — according to CBS News. Brain-computer interfaces “create a direct communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and external devices such as electroencephalography devices, computers, robotic limbs and other brain monitoring devices,” according to Georgia Tech Research. Three ports were installed on top of Patterson’s head to connect and communicate with outside computers, and they can “record one or even a couple of single neurons that are local to that area,” UCHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Kramer told CBS News.

]]>A man who became paralyzed nine years ago has become a pioneer for a new kind of neurotechnology. Brandon Patterson, 41, had surgery in Colorado to install a brain-computer interface into the cortex of his brain, where higher functioning brain activity is located — marking the first time this has ever happened in the world — according to CBS News. Brain-computer interfaces “create a direct communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and external devices such as electroencephalography devices, computers, robotic limbs and other brain monitoring devices,” according to Georgia Tech Research. Three ports were installed on top of Patterson’s head to connect and communicate with outside computers, and they can “record one or even a couple of single neurons that are local to that area,” UCHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Kramer told CBS News.

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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:31:13 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4b04fbe8-e4d5-4753-8a69-dd959a251774/500_peoplemagazine.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4b04fbe8-e4d5-4753-8a69-dd959a251774/peoplemagazine.jpg?10000 5280 - The Denver Magazine | How to Live Longer and Better, According to Actual Medical Experts https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/5280---the-denver-magazine--how-to-live-longer-and-better-according-to-actual-medical-experts/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/5280---the-denver-magazine--how-to-live-longer-and-better-according-to-actual-medical-experts/741684Movies are full of characters making questionable choices in pursuit of eternal life… Fortunately, Colorado is blessed with a litany of licensed longevity advisers—i.e., doctors. We spoke with physicians across specialties to better understand what you can do in your 30s, 40s, and 50s to ward off common age-related maladies that many experience in their 60s, 70s, and 80s…Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah, Audiologist - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital: Your body is changing—that’s natural. It’s also bad news for older adults trying to make small talk in a crowded room. Structural changes inside the ear and the brain contribute to a slow deterioration in hearing, and there’s not much you can do about it. However, the battery of Broncos games, Metallica shows, and gas-powered snowblowers that also hammer away at your hearing can at least be mitigated, perhaps with something you already own. …. Dr. William Cornwell, Sports Cardiologist - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital: “If your goal is to live healthy, be a normal person, and reduce your risk,” Cornwell says, “here’s my response: Look up the top 10 causes of death in the United States…. Routine exercise will reduce the risk of six.” And although the phrase “routine exercise” conjures different ideas for everyone, the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, and the Dementia Society of America all agree on exactly what it entails: 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity.

]]>Movies are full of characters making questionable choices in pursuit of eternal life… Fortunately, Colorado is blessed with a litany of licensed longevity advisers—i.e., doctors. We spoke with physicians across specialties to better understand what you can do in your 30s, 40s, and 50s to ward off common age-related maladies that many experience in their 60s, 70s, and 80s…Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah, Audiologist - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital: Your body is changing—that’s natural. It’s also bad news for older adults trying to make small talk in a crowded room. Structural changes inside the ear and the brain contribute to a slow deterioration in hearing, and there’s not much you can do about it. However, the battery of Broncos games, Metallica shows, and gas-powered snowblowers that also hammer away at your hearing can at least be mitigated, perhaps with something you already own. …. Dr. William Cornwell, Sports Cardiologist - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital: “If your goal is to live healthy, be a normal person, and reduce your risk,” Cornwell says, “here’s my response: Look up the top 10 causes of death in the United States…. Routine exercise will reduce the risk of six.” And although the phrase “routine exercise” conjures different ideas for everyone, the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, and the Dementia Society of America all agree on exactly what it entails: 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity.

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:52:27 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/3816725b-82e3-4fcb-b08f-3896511b20e1/500_metro5280mag.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/3816725b-82e3-4fcb-b08f-3896511b20e1/metro5280mag.png?10000 Colorado Springs Gazette | 'It's kind of magical': Organ recipient helps UCHealth kick off National Donate Life Month https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--its-kind-of-magical-organ-recipient-helps-uchealth-kick-off-national-donate-life-month/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--its-kind-of-magical-organ-recipient-helps-uchealth-kick-off-national-donate-life-month/741682When Jeremy Mares applied for a driver’s license at 16, he registered to be an organ and tissue donor, thinking that he might one day be able to save someone’s life, he said. “Little did I know that 19 years later, someone else’s ‘Yes’ would save mine,’” Mares said. In March 2018, Mares was admitted into UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s intensive-care unit with acute liver failure caused by a rare copper-metabolism disorder called Wilson’s Disease. Just three weeks after being admitted into the ICU, Mares walked out of the hospital with a new liver. “You hear horror stories about people who wait forever to get a liver,” he said. “For me, the process was pretty fast.” On Wednesday, Mares joined UCHealth employees and organ donation advocates at Memorial Hospital Central for a flag-raising ceremony to signal the beginning of National Donate Life Month.

]]>When Jeremy Mares applied for a driver’s license at 16, he registered to be an organ and tissue donor, thinking that he might one day be able to save someone’s life, he said. “Little did I know that 19 years later, someone else’s ‘Yes’ would save mine,’” Mares said. In March 2018, Mares was admitted into UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s intensive-care unit with acute liver failure caused by a rare copper-metabolism disorder called Wilson’s Disease. Just three weeks after being admitted into the ICU, Mares walked out of the hospital with a new liver. “You hear horror stories about people who wait forever to get a liver,” he said. “For me, the process was pretty fast.” On Wednesday, Mares joined UCHealth employees and organ donation advocates at Memorial Hospital Central for a flag-raising ceremony to signal the beginning of National Donate Life Month.

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:48:00 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/500_springsgazette.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/springsgazette.png?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | Colon cancer rising among younger adults https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--colon-cancer-rising-among-younger-adults/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--colon-cancer-rising-among-younger-adults/741681Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related death for people under the age of 50, according to new evidence from the American Cancer Society. The rise in cases among younger adults is largely unexplained but medical experts say increased awareness and proactive screenings can save lives. Dr. Swati Patel, a gastroenterologist at UCHealth, said the trend is concerning. “It’s an extremely alarming trend and, in fact, one we’ve observed over the last several decades, where we see individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s having an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, which historically we always thought was sort of an old person’s disease." For Sarah Gleichenhaus, that trend became personal. The now 34-year-old was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at just 30 years old after years of ignoring symptoms. "The last thing you ever expect to hear at that age," Gleichenhaus said. "I got super lucky when I found it when I did because it had already spread over my colon wall and was probably getting close to spreading to other parts of my body too."

 

]]>Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related death for people under the age of 50, according to new evidence from the American Cancer Society. The rise in cases among younger adults is largely unexplained but medical experts say increased awareness and proactive screenings can save lives. Dr. Swati Patel, a gastroenterologist at UCHealth, said the trend is concerning. “It’s an extremely alarming trend and, in fact, one we’ve observed over the last several decades, where we see individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s having an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, which historically we always thought was sort of an old person’s disease." For Sarah Gleichenhaus, that trend became personal. The now 34-year-old was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at just 30 years old after years of ignoring symptoms. "The last thing you ever expect to hear at that age," Gleichenhaus said. "I got super lucky when I found it when I did because it had already spread over my colon wall and was probably getting close to spreading to other parts of my body too."

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:46:52 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000 The Pueblo Chieftain | UCHealth Parkview hospital adds new robotic system for lung biopsies https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-pueblo-chieftain--uchealth-parkview-hospital-adds-new-robotic-system-for-lung-biopsies/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-pueblo-chieftain--uchealth-parkview-hospital-adds-new-robotic-system-for-lung-biopsies/741680When Jeremy Mares applied for a driver’s license at 16, he registered to be an organ and tissue donor, thinking that he might one day be able to save someone’s life, he said. “Little did I know that 19 years later, someone else’s ‘Yes’ would save mine,’” Mares said. In March 2018, Mares was admitted into UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s intensive-care unit with acute liver failure caused by a rare copper-metabolism disorder called Wilson’s Disease. Just three weeks after being admitted into the ICU, Mares walked out of the hospital with a new liver. “You hear horror stories about people who wait forever to get a liver,” he said. “For me, the process was pretty fast.” On Wednesday, Mares joined UCHealth employees and organ donation advocates at Memorial Hospital Central for a flag-raising ceremony to signal the beginning of National Donate Life Month.

]]>When Jeremy Mares applied for a driver’s license at 16, he registered to be an organ and tissue donor, thinking that he might one day be able to save someone’s life, he said. “Little did I know that 19 years later, someone else’s ‘Yes’ would save mine,’” Mares said. In March 2018, Mares was admitted into UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s intensive-care unit with acute liver failure caused by a rare copper-metabolism disorder called Wilson’s Disease. Just three weeks after being admitted into the ICU, Mares walked out of the hospital with a new liver. “You hear horror stories about people who wait forever to get a liver,” he said. “For me, the process was pretty fast.” On Wednesday, Mares joined UCHealth employees and organ donation advocates at Memorial Hospital Central for a flag-raising ceremony to signal the beginning of National Donate Life Month.

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:45:05 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10c54f7d-0b7b-48c9-b0d8-76294fb4d1d2/500_pueblochieftan.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10c54f7d-0b7b-48c9-b0d8-76294fb4d1d2/pueblochieftan.jpg?10000 KKTV-TV | Colorado springs allergy season hits earlier than usual, and the same is likely for summer https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--colorado-springs-allergy-season-hits-earlier-than-usual-and-the-same-is-likely-for-summer/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--colorado-springs-allergy-season-hits-earlier-than-usual-and-the-same-is-likely-for-summer/741679If you’ve been hit hard by spring allergies lately, you’re not alone. Allergist with UCHealth, Dr. Levi Keller, says the unseasonably warm weather the past several weeks has led to a relatively early onset of spring allergens circulating. “A lack of winter, and I think we certainly have seen an early emergence of tree pollen, which is predominantly our springtime allergen,” Keller said.

]]>If you’ve been hit hard by spring allergies lately, you’re not alone. Allergist with UCHealth, Dr. Levi Keller, says the unseasonably warm weather the past several weeks has led to a relatively early onset of spring allergens circulating. “A lack of winter, and I think we certainly have seen an early emergence of tree pollen, which is predominantly our springtime allergen,” Keller said.

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:43:17 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/500_springskktv.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/springskktv.png?10000 Associated Press | UCHealth marks 10,000 transplants: six decades of pioneering patient care and surgical innovation https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/associated-press--uchealth-marks-10000-transplants-six-decades-of-pioneering-patient-care-and-surgical-innovation/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/associated-press--uchealth-marks-10000-transplants-six-decades-of-pioneering-patient-care-and-surgical-innovation/741677Breakthrough technologies and evolving surgical techniques have transformed transplant care at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, where procedures once considered experimental 60 years ago are now safer, less invasive and more accessible than ever. These advancements fueled a milestone year for the program in 2025 including the completion of the 1,000th lung transplant, 1,000th heart, 5,000th kidney, and 3,000th liver transplant - adding to the program’s more than 10,000 transplant surgeries since 1962. In the early days of transplant medicine, solid organ transplant surgery was seen as experimental, risky and uncertain. Patients often spent weeks or even months in the hospital recovering. Today, advances in technology and surgical techniques have transformed transplant care for both recipients and living donors resulting in smaller incisions and shorter recovery times.

]]>Breakthrough technologies and evolving surgical techniques have transformed transplant care at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, where procedures once considered experimental 60 years ago are now safer, less invasive and more accessible than ever. These advancements fueled a milestone year for the program in 2025 including the completion of the 1,000th lung transplant, 1,000th heart, 5,000th kidney, and 3,000th liver transplant - adding to the program’s more than 10,000 transplant surgeries since 1962. In the early days of transplant medicine, solid organ transplant surgery was seen as experimental, risky and uncertain. Patients often spent weeks or even months in the hospital recovering. Today, advances in technology and surgical techniques have transformed transplant care for both recipients and living donors resulting in smaller incisions and shorter recovery times.

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]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:39:29 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6144dbbf-12f5-4c94-a38b-69a3c667a38e/500_associatedpress.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6144dbbf-12f5-4c94-a38b-69a3c667a38e/associatedpress.png?10000 KDVR-TV (Denver) | Man receives transplant in Colorado after mistaking a heart attack for food poisoning https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kdvr-tv-denver--man-receives-transplant-in-colorado-after-mistaking-a-heart-attack-for-food-poisoning/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kdvr-tv-denver--man-receives-transplant-in-colorado-after-mistaking-a-heart-attack-for-food-poisoning/738142What began as what he thought was food poisoning during a work trip to Colorado turned into a life-threatening heart attack for Chris Horn, a businessman visiting from the United Kingdom. Horn had just eaten lunch when he began experiencing vomiting, dizziness and lightheadedness. After spending the night feeling worse, he went to an urgent care clinic and was eventually transferred to UCHealth. Doctors determined Horn was suffering a severe heart attack…Horn underwent 12 operations, including a heart transplant. During his treatment, he was placed on ECMO, a machine that supports heart and lung function when they are unable to work on their own. “It essentially takes over the function of your lungs and or your heart and lungs,” said Jordan Hoffman, a cardiothoracic surgeon with UCHealth. “It provides blood flow to the rest of the body when the heart doesn’t pump adequately to do its job.” Hoffman said some of Horn’s early symptoms — including nausea and dizziness — can be mistaken for effects of high elevation, potentially causing a heart attack to be overlooked. Horn says he spent a long time sedated and on ECMO, and because of that, he says he had to relearn how to speak and walk as part of his recovery. But he credits the machine, and the care he received in Colorado, with saving his life.

]]>What began as what he thought was food poisoning during a work trip to Colorado turned into a life-threatening heart attack for Chris Horn, a businessman visiting from the United Kingdom. Horn had just eaten lunch when he began experiencing vomiting, dizziness and lightheadedness. After spending the night feeling worse, he went to an urgent care clinic and was eventually transferred to UCHealth. Doctors determined Horn was suffering a severe heart attack…Horn underwent 12 operations, including a heart transplant. During his treatment, he was placed on ECMO, a machine that supports heart and lung function when they are unable to work on their own. “It essentially takes over the function of your lungs and or your heart and lungs,” said Jordan Hoffman, a cardiothoracic surgeon with UCHealth. “It provides blood flow to the rest of the body when the heart doesn’t pump adequately to do its job.” Hoffman said some of Horn’s early symptoms — including nausea and dizziness — can be mistaken for effects of high elevation, potentially causing a heart attack to be overlooked. Horn says he spent a long time sedated and on ECMO, and because of that, he says he had to relearn how to speak and walk as part of his recovery. But he credits the machine, and the care he received in Colorado, with saving his life.

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]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:43:59 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4ff3228e-4a92-48d6-91e6-10dcf0913fa8/500_metrofox31.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4ff3228e-4a92-48d6-91e6-10dcf0913fa8/metrofox31.png?10000 GQ | How Magnesium Can Help with Migraines, According to Experts https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/gq--how-magnesium-can-help-with-migraines-according-to-experts/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/gq--how-magnesium-can-help-with-migraines-according-to-experts/738141There’s a reason why everyone is talking about magnesium. The nutrient can support essentially every aspect of health. Dealing with sore muscles? Having trouble falling asleep? Feeling anxious lately? Magnesium’s got you. Required in more than 300 processes in the body, magnesium just might be the biggest multitasking nutrient there is. Yet another benefit magnesium can add to its resume is migraine management. “Magnesium can help with migraines, both during an attack and for migraine prevention. Studies show that it can reduce migraine frequency, intensity, and duration,” says Danielle Wilhour, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at UCHealth. If you’re going to use magnesium for migraines, it’s important to know what types of migraines it helps with, how much you need to consume, and the best way to get it.

]]>There’s a reason why everyone is talking about magnesium. The nutrient can support essentially every aspect of health. Dealing with sore muscles? Having trouble falling asleep? Feeling anxious lately? Magnesium’s got you. Required in more than 300 processes in the body, magnesium just might be the biggest multitasking nutrient there is. Yet another benefit magnesium can add to its resume is migraine management. “Magnesium can help with migraines, both during an attack and for migraine prevention. Studies show that it can reduce migraine frequency, intensity, and duration,” says Danielle Wilhour, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at UCHealth. If you’re going to use magnesium for migraines, it’s important to know what types of migraines it helps with, how much you need to consume, and the best way to get it.

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]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:40:56 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/e4bca877-e98c-4655-bf7a-631cca2a372c/500_gq.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/e4bca877-e98c-4655-bf7a-631cca2a372c/gq.jpg?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | Alcohol-related liver disease now drives nearly half of UCHealth liver transplants https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--alcohol-related-liver-disease-now-drives-nearly-half-of-uchealth-liver-transplants/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--alcohol-related-liver-disease-now-drives-nearly-half-of-uchealth-liver-transplants/738140As many Coloradans wrap up Dry January and prepare for Super Bowl Sunday, UCHealth is warning about a troubling trend. Alcohol-related liver disease is rising, and it now accounts for nearly half (45%) of all liver transplants in the hospital system.  Doctors say the increase has been particularly pronounced since the pandemic, and women appear to be disproportionately affected.  Dr. James Burton, medical director of UCHealth’s Liver Transplant Program, estimates 30-40% of liver transplant patients at UCHealth today are women. He said that is up from what was estimated as less than 10% before the pandemic.  “I haven’t seen it start coming down, and it is still a major problem in the United States,” Burton said.  He noted that the youngest patient he has treated for complications of alcohol-related liver disease was just 20 years old. “Now we’re seeing young women who might have children, living functional lives, but consuming too much alcohol. Women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than men," Burton said.

]]>As many Coloradans wrap up Dry January and prepare for Super Bowl Sunday, UCHealth is warning about a troubling trend. Alcohol-related liver disease is rising, and it now accounts for nearly half (45%) of all liver transplants in the hospital system.  Doctors say the increase has been particularly pronounced since the pandemic, and women appear to be disproportionately affected.  Dr. James Burton, medical director of UCHealth’s Liver Transplant Program, estimates 30-40% of liver transplant patients at UCHealth today are women. He said that is up from what was estimated as less than 10% before the pandemic.  “I haven’t seen it start coming down, and it is still a major problem in the United States,” Burton said.  He noted that the youngest patient he has treated for complications of alcohol-related liver disease was just 20 years old. “Now we’re seeing young women who might have children, living functional lives, but consuming too much alcohol. Women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than men," Burton said.

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]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:26:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000 KOAA-TV | Colorado Springs paramedic honored for outstanding service on and off duty https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/koaa-tv--colorado-springs-paramedic-honored-for-outstanding-service-on-and-off-duty/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/koaa-tv--colorado-springs-paramedic-honored-for-outstanding-service-on-and-off-duty/734888A Colorado Springs flight paramedic has been recognized for his exceptional dedication to emergency medical services and community outreach. Brian Dupey, a flight paramedic for UCHealth, was awarded the title Critical Care Paramedic of the Year by the Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado. Since joining UCHealth in 2020, Dupey has responded to more than 1,000 emergency calls. Beyond his professional duties, Dupey actively gives back to the community through local charity work and volunteer efforts at his alma mater, Liberty High School. At the school, he mentors students interested in pursuing careers in paramedicine.

]]>A Colorado Springs flight paramedic has been recognized for his exceptional dedication to emergency medical services and community outreach. Brian Dupey, a flight paramedic for UCHealth, was awarded the title Critical Care Paramedic of the Year by the Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado. Since joining UCHealth in 2020, Dupey has responded to more than 1,000 emergency calls. Beyond his professional duties, Dupey actively gives back to the community through local charity work and volunteer efforts at his alma mater, Liberty High School. At the school, he mentors students interested in pursuing careers in paramedicine.

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:44:50 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/19576f32-1e9e-4ebb-a321-9fd13e04be59/500_springskoaa.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/19576f32-1e9e-4ebb-a321-9fd13e04be59/springskoaa.png?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | New technology in Longmont can better detect breast cancer https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--new-technology-in-longmont-can-better-detect-breast-cancer/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--new-technology-in-longmont-can-better-detect-breast-cancer/734887A new breast imaging technology now available in northern Colorado is helping doctors detect breast cancer earlier in some women with dense breast tissue, as rates of the disease continue to rise among younger patients, according to the American Cancer Society. UCHealth is the first health system in Colorado to offer contrast-enhanced mammography at its Breast Diagnostic Center at Longs Peak Medical Center in Longmont. This is a new type of mammogram that uses an IV contrast to create clearer images and help doctors find cancers that standard mammograms can miss. The American Cancer Society reports breast cancer rates continue to increase, especially among women under 50. That trend underscores the importance of early detection, said Dr. Elizabeth Vorhis, a breast radiologist with Advanced Medical Imaging Consultants. “When breast cancer is diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate is almost 100%,” Vorhis said. “The key is diagnosing it early.”

]]>A new breast imaging technology now available in northern Colorado is helping doctors detect breast cancer earlier in some women with dense breast tissue, as rates of the disease continue to rise among younger patients, according to the American Cancer Society. UCHealth is the first health system in Colorado to offer contrast-enhanced mammography at its Breast Diagnostic Center at Longs Peak Medical Center in Longmont. This is a new type of mammogram that uses an IV contrast to create clearer images and help doctors find cancers that standard mammograms can miss. The American Cancer Society reports breast cancer rates continue to increase, especially among women under 50. That trend underscores the importance of early detection, said Dr. Elizabeth Vorhis, a breast radiologist with Advanced Medical Imaging Consultants. “When breast cancer is diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate is almost 100%,” Vorhis said. “The key is diagnosing it early.”

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:42:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000 Colorado Springs Gazette | AI in the exam room: blending technology with the human touch https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--ai-in-the-exam-room-blending-technology-with-the-human-touch/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--ai-in-the-exam-room-blending-technology-with-the-human-touch/734886As artificial intelligence has become more ubiquitous in everyday life — from a typical smartphone’s autocorrect function to chatbots that can simulate conversations with humans, quickly analyze data sets and more — it’s also changing how medical professionals and organizations provide health care, and the patient experience along with it. Today, medical practitioners are using AI to schedule appointments, document patient visits, create discharge summaries and care plans, analyze medical images, and even to aid in diagnosing patients, for example…Dr. Richard Zane, chief medical and innovation officer at UCHealth, said the health system is also focused on using AI responsibly to improve lives. “Innovation is a strategic pillar for UCHealth, including the rational use of AI to improve lives by delivering superlative quality care and experience for our patients while enabling our employees to work at the top of their scope and substantively decrease administrative burden,” he said. “We make certain that the use of AI is safe, ethical and transparent and all of our policies, including the use of AI, require strict patient privacy and HIPAA compliance.” … Scribing tools have decreased the number of administrative tasks required of physicians and other care providers, improving their work-life balance, reducing burnout and improving the efficiency of care, said French, Samarin and Jill Collier, a primary care nurse practitioner at UCHealth.

]]>As artificial intelligence has become more ubiquitous in everyday life — from a typical smartphone’s autocorrect function to chatbots that can simulate conversations with humans, quickly analyze data sets and more — it’s also changing how medical professionals and organizations provide health care, and the patient experience along with it. Today, medical practitioners are using AI to schedule appointments, document patient visits, create discharge summaries and care plans, analyze medical images, and even to aid in diagnosing patients, for example…Dr. Richard Zane, chief medical and innovation officer at UCHealth, said the health system is also focused on using AI responsibly to improve lives. “Innovation is a strategic pillar for UCHealth, including the rational use of AI to improve lives by delivering superlative quality care and experience for our patients while enabling our employees to work at the top of their scope and substantively decrease administrative burden,” he said. “We make certain that the use of AI is safe, ethical and transparent and all of our policies, including the use of AI, require strict patient privacy and HIPAA compliance.” … Scribing tools have decreased the number of administrative tasks required of physicians and other care providers, improving their work-life balance, reducing burnout and improving the efficiency of care, said French, Samarin and Jill Collier, a primary care nurse practitioner at UCHealth.

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:39:23 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/500_springsgazette.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/springsgazette.png?10000 Steamboat Pilot & Today | Steamboat oncologist part of successful clinical research team https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--steamboat-oncologist-part-of-successful-clinical-research-team/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--steamboat-oncologist-part-of-successful-clinical-research-team/734884While helping care for cancer patients in Steamboat Springs for 19 years, oncologist and hematologist Dr. Robert Rifkin has also participated in research that contributed to a new treatment for blood cancer patients around the world. In October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved use of the multiple myeloma blood cancer treatment drug called Blenrep for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Rifkin was one of multiple clinical investigators involved in the three‑year DREAMM-7 study sponsored by drug company GSK that led to the development of the new drug. Multiple myeloma is the third most common form of blood cancer globally and is considered treatable but not curable, Rifkin said. During an interview at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center last week, the oncologist said the most important development throughout his long research and treatment career is the increase in the median survival for multiple myeloma patients from 1.5 years to 20 years.

]]>While helping care for cancer patients in Steamboat Springs for 19 years, oncologist and hematologist Dr. Robert Rifkin has also participated in research that contributed to a new treatment for blood cancer patients around the world. In October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved use of the multiple myeloma blood cancer treatment drug called Blenrep for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Rifkin was one of multiple clinical investigators involved in the three‑year DREAMM-7 study sponsored by drug company GSK that led to the development of the new drug. Multiple myeloma is the third most common form of blood cancer globally and is considered treatable but not curable, Rifkin said. During an interview at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center last week, the oncologist said the most important development throughout his long research and treatment career is the increase in the median survival for multiple myeloma patients from 1.5 years to 20 years.

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:37:13 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/500_yampapilot.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/yampapilot.png?10000 The Denver Gazette | Listening first: How Routt County's new co-response team responds to mental health crises https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-denver-gazette--listening-first-how-routt-countys-new-co-response-team-responds-to-mental-health-crises/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-denver-gazette--listening-first-how-routt-countys-new-co-response-team-responds-to-mental-health-crises/734882When Routt County launched its new Mental Health Response Team last fall, co-response models themselves were not new to Colorado. Teams pairing law enforcement with clinicians have operated for years in Colorado Springs and across the Front Range. What is new, local leaders said, is how urgently the model has been needed in this corner of the state and how quickly a rising tide of behavioral health crises has tested the team. The Routt County team began responding to calls in September, pairing Deputy Sheriff Dawn Smith with licensed clinical social worker Tracy Dierksen to serve Routt and neighboring Moffat County. The team emerged from years of planning, research and grant work. Its first months have unfolded amid growing concerns about suicide, substance use and repeat crisis calls in the Yampa Valley. For Sheriff Doug Scherar, the effort grew from years of observing gaps in law enforcement’s ability to respond to behavioral health crises…Scherar took the proposal to the Routt County Board of Commissioners in early 2023, which directed the sheriff’s office to pursue grant funding and bring in a consultant to assess local resources. The consultant reached the same conclusion: an embedded clinician paired with a deputy was best suited to Routt County’s size, geography, and needs. UCHealth was selected as the clinical partner, and Dierksen joined Smith for training over the summer. By September, the team was operational.

]]>When Routt County launched its new Mental Health Response Team last fall, co-response models themselves were not new to Colorado. Teams pairing law enforcement with clinicians have operated for years in Colorado Springs and across the Front Range. What is new, local leaders said, is how urgently the model has been needed in this corner of the state and how quickly a rising tide of behavioral health crises has tested the team. The Routt County team began responding to calls in September, pairing Deputy Sheriff Dawn Smith with licensed clinical social worker Tracy Dierksen to serve Routt and neighboring Moffat County. The team emerged from years of planning, research and grant work. Its first months have unfolded amid growing concerns about suicide, substance use and repeat crisis calls in the Yampa Valley. For Sheriff Doug Scherar, the effort grew from years of observing gaps in law enforcement’s ability to respond to behavioral health crises…Scherar took the proposal to the Routt County Board of Commissioners in early 2023, which directed the sheriff’s office to pursue grant funding and bring in a consultant to assess local resources. The consultant reached the same conclusion: an embedded clinician paired with a deputy was best suited to Routt County’s size, geography, and needs. UCHealth was selected as the clinical partner, and Dierksen joined Smith for training over the summer. By September, the team was operational.

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:26:50 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/30138280-6893-4d3b-9ae9-2809d8d19fed/500_denvergazette.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/30138280-6893-4d3b-9ae9-2809d8d19fed/denvergazette.jpg?10000 Bustle | 3 Women On Dealing With The Recurring Tragedy Of Migraines During Work https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/bustle--3-women-on-dealing-with-the-recurring-tragedy-of-migraines-during-work/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/bustle--3-women-on-dealing-with-the-recurring-tragedy-of-migraines-during-work/734878“My line of work is talking and supporting people during some of the worst moments of their lives,” says Bushra, a psychotherapist and owner of a Chicago-based private practice. “One of my worst fears surrounding my migraines is, ‘What if I have one during a session with a client?’” For Bushra, and the 28 million women in the United States who deal with debilitating migraine, there’s never a good time for one to strike, but worse, it can show up during the day when you’re expected to bring your A-game to work. Whether they’re derailing meetings, work calls, or presentations — or making it impossible to sit in front of a computer at all — migraines can quietly upend productivity in ways coworkers and managers don’t always see. “Many people experience sensitivity to light and sound, so typical workplace environments with bright or fluorescent lighting, computer monitors, or conversations can intensify symptoms,” says Danielle Wilhour, MD, a neurologist at UCHealth and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Colorado. “Migraines can cause significant fatigue and a need to rest in a dark, quiet space, which is not always possible in an office environment. The unpredictability of attacks can add stress or anxiety, further affecting productivity and performance.”

]]>“My line of work is talking and supporting people during some of the worst moments of their lives,” says Bushra, a psychotherapist and owner of a Chicago-based private practice. “One of my worst fears surrounding my migraines is, ‘What if I have one during a session with a client?’” For Bushra, and the 28 million women in the United States who deal with debilitating migraine, there’s never a good time for one to strike, but worse, it can show up during the day when you’re expected to bring your A-game to work. Whether they’re derailing meetings, work calls, or presentations — or making it impossible to sit in front of a computer at all — migraines can quietly upend productivity in ways coworkers and managers don’t always see. “Many people experience sensitivity to light and sound, so typical workplace environments with bright or fluorescent lighting, computer monitors, or conversations can intensify symptoms,” says Danielle Wilhour, MD, a neurologist at UCHealth and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Colorado. “Migraines can cause significant fatigue and a need to rest in a dark, quiet space, which is not always possible in an office environment. The unpredictability of attacks can add stress or anxiety, further affecting productivity and performance.”

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]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 20:52:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10dfac83-f6c4-49f2-901e-b171f5d0f4d4/500_bustle.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10dfac83-f6c4-49f2-901e-b171f5d0f4d4/bustle.jpg?10000 KMGH-TV | Local cardiologist shares tips for sticking to New Year's health resolutions https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv--local-cardiologist-shares-tips-for-sticking-to-new-years-health-resolutions/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv--local-cardiologist-shares-tips-for-sticking-to-new-years-health-resolutions/732568The most popular 2026 New Year’s resolutions involve health and wellness, that's according to yougov.org and experts suggest breaking big health goals down into smaller manageable actions to help stick to health resolutions. UCHealth cardiologist Dr. William Cornwell shared small ways to improve health habits in the new year. "150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise. What I tell my patients is that comes out to around 30 minutes a day, five times a week of a brisk walk, that's it. When we think about trying to get in shape, some people are scared of going to a gym because they're intimidated. And the reality is, you don't need to all the fancy equipment,” Cornwell said.

]]>The most popular 2026 New Year’s resolutions involve health and wellness, that's according to yougov.org and experts suggest breaking big health goals down into smaller manageable actions to help stick to health resolutions. UCHealth cardiologist Dr. William Cornwell shared small ways to improve health habits in the new year. "150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise. What I tell my patients is that comes out to around 30 minutes a day, five times a week of a brisk walk, that's it. When we think about trying to get in shape, some people are scared of going to a gym because they're intimidated. And the reality is, you don't need to all the fancy equipment,” Cornwell said.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:37:56 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/500_metrodenver7.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/metrodenver7.png?10000 The Colorado Sun | On the rural Colorado plains, cancer patients with no local options rely on this traveling oncologist https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-colorado-sun--on-the-rural-colorado-plains-cancer-patients-with-no-local-options-rely-on-this-traveling-oncologist/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-colorado-sun--on-the-rural-colorado-plains-cancer-patients-with-no-local-options-rely-on-this-traveling-oncologist/732567Dr. Robert Hoyer doesn’t bother buying groceries or using the kitchenette in the little room at the Holiday Inn Express where he lives for four days every month… They’ve settled into a routine by now in this small town on the southeastern Colorado plains, where they travel once a month to see patients with cancer who otherwise would have to drive two hours to Pueblo or three hours to Colorado Springs for doctor appointments. Medical assistant Creston Potts’ mom takes care of her cat, Purdy, while she’s taking care of patients on the road, away from her regular job at UCHealth Memorial Central in Colorado Springs. She’s been working with Hoyer for 10 years now…On their travel week, the UCHealth team leaves Colorado Springs about dawn on Mondays, driving two hours straight south to Las Animas County, where they visit patients in borrowed space at Mt. San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad. On Tuesday mornings, they drive northeast to Lamar, where they use an empty suite of rooms at Prowers Medical Center. They head home to Colorado Springs around noon on Fridays… In five days, Hoyer’s team sees about 130 patients, some to explain their diagnosis for the first time, and others to discuss test results or the next round of chemotherapy. There is not a single oncologist based in the southeastern quadrant of the state.

]]>Dr. Robert Hoyer doesn’t bother buying groceries or using the kitchenette in the little room at the Holiday Inn Express where he lives for four days every month… They’ve settled into a routine by now in this small town on the southeastern Colorado plains, where they travel once a month to see patients with cancer who otherwise would have to drive two hours to Pueblo or three hours to Colorado Springs for doctor appointments. Medical assistant Creston Potts’ mom takes care of her cat, Purdy, while she’s taking care of patients on the road, away from her regular job at UCHealth Memorial Central in Colorado Springs. She’s been working with Hoyer for 10 years now…On their travel week, the UCHealth team leaves Colorado Springs about dawn on Mondays, driving two hours straight south to Las Animas County, where they visit patients in borrowed space at Mt. San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad. On Tuesday mornings, they drive northeast to Lamar, where they use an empty suite of rooms at Prowers Medical Center. They head home to Colorado Springs around noon on Fridays… In five days, Hoyer’s team sees about 130 patients, some to explain their diagnosis for the first time, and others to discuss test results or the next round of chemotherapy. There is not a single oncologist based in the southeastern quadrant of the state.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:35:16 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ac58ffcf-3d17-488a-8477-f0850f8ec36e/500_metrocolo.sun.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ac58ffcf-3d17-488a-8477-f0850f8ec36e/metrocolo.sun.png?10000 Loveland Reporter-Herald | Prehospital blood transfusions have improved patient outcomes over the last year in Northern Colorado, staff say https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/loveland-reporter-herald--prehospital-blood-transfusions-have-improved-patient-outcomes-over-the-last-year-in-northern-colorado-staff-say/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/loveland-reporter-herald--prehospital-blood-transfusions-have-improved-patient-outcomes-over-the-last-year-in-northern-colorado-staff-say/732566A year ago, UCHealth and Thompson Valley EMS launched a program that allows patients to receive whole blood transfusions before they even step foot into a hospital. “We’ve had some patients go from numbers suggesting they’re not going to make it to the hospital, to making it to the hospital, to talking with us, and bordering normal vital signs because of this program,” said UCHealth EMS Medical Director Tyler Vaughn, who is also an emergency room doctor. Before the program launched in December 2024, Larimer and Weld County paramedics could only provide patients with IV fluids before arriving at the hospital, Vaughn said, adding that salt water has no effect on the reduction of bleeding.

]]>A year ago, UCHealth and Thompson Valley EMS launched a program that allows patients to receive whole blood transfusions before they even step foot into a hospital. “We’ve had some patients go from numbers suggesting they’re not going to make it to the hospital, to making it to the hospital, to talking with us, and bordering normal vital signs because of this program,” said UCHealth EMS Medical Director Tyler Vaughn, who is also an emergency room doctor. Before the program launched in December 2024, Larimer and Weld County paramedics could only provide patients with IV fluids before arriving at the hospital, Vaughn said, adding that salt water has no effect on the reduction of bleeding.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:32:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/35832b6a-784b-4f9e-98b4-dfa7e0c919cd/500_nocoreporter-herald.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/35832b6a-784b-4f9e-98b4-dfa7e0c919cd/nocoreporter-herald.png?10000 The Pueblo Chieftain | New agreement clears path for Pueblo nurses to get bachelor's degrees https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-pueblo-chieftain--new-agreement-clears-path-for-pueblo-nurses-to-get-bachelors-degrees/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/the-pueblo-chieftain--new-agreement-clears-path-for-pueblo-nurses-to-get-bachelors-degrees/732565The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were over 1,900 registered nurses in the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area in May 2024. A recent agreement between Colorado State University Pueblo and UCHealth seeks to address "financial hurdles" for UCHealth registered nurses looking to receive a bachelor's degree from CSU Pueblo. The agreement, signed on Dec. 12, makes CSU Pueblo's online "Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing" (RN to BSN) program a part of UCHealth's Ascend Career Program…In a CSU Pueblo news release, UCHealth Parkview Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Noreen Bernard said that the agreement between CSU Pueblo and UCHealth grows opportunities for nurses across the state. "At UCHealth, we believe investing in our people directly enhances the quality of care we provide to the communities we serve," Bernard said. "Beyond the RN-to-BSN pathway, the university offers a wide range of programs, certifications, and career options in health care, and we appreciate the possibilities it brings for our staff and ultimately, our patients.”

]]>The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were over 1,900 registered nurses in the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area in May 2024. A recent agreement between Colorado State University Pueblo and UCHealth seeks to address "financial hurdles" for UCHealth registered nurses looking to receive a bachelor's degree from CSU Pueblo. The agreement, signed on Dec. 12, makes CSU Pueblo's online "Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing" (RN to BSN) program a part of UCHealth's Ascend Career Program…In a CSU Pueblo news release, UCHealth Parkview Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Noreen Bernard said that the agreement between CSU Pueblo and UCHealth grows opportunities for nurses across the state. "At UCHealth, we believe investing in our people directly enhances the quality of care we provide to the communities we serve," Bernard said. "Beyond the RN-to-BSN pathway, the university offers a wide range of programs, certifications, and career options in health care, and we appreciate the possibilities it brings for our staff and ultimately, our patients.”

 

]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:21:15 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10c54f7d-0b7b-48c9-b0d8-76294fb4d1d2/500_pueblochieftan.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/10c54f7d-0b7b-48c9-b0d8-76294fb4d1d2/pueblochieftan.jpg?10000 KCNC-TV (Denver) | UCHealth opens new inpatient mental health unit in Northen Colorado hospital https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--uchealth-opens-new-inpatient-mental-health-unit-in-northen-colorado-hospital/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--uchealth-opens-new-inpatient-mental-health-unit-in-northen-colorado-hospital/732563UCHealth opened a brand new multimillion dollar inpatient mental health unit in Northern Colorado. Poudre Valley Hospital is now the home to the newest behavioral health inpatient unit in Colorado. On Monday at 7 a.m., UCHealth moved their first patient into the brand-new wing of PVH in Fort Collins. Prior to Monday, UCHealth's nearest inpatient behavioral health unit was located miles way and not connected to a hospital. Therefore, if a medical emergency happened 911 had to be called for care. "Our patients have had to take ambulances," said Daphne Huegerich, director of behavioral health for UCHealth in Northern Colorado. By building a new behavioral health wing connected to an existing hospital, Huegerich said the patients and staff have better access to other forms of care in a more immediate manner. "(This unit) increases accessibility to hospital lists, pharmacists, lab individuals. We are also increasing our capacity from 41 beds to 50 beds with three units. Acute unit, adolescents and adult," Huegerich said.

]]>This is where the main text goes. UCHealth opened a brand new multimillion dollar inpatient mental health unit in Northern Colorado. Poudre Valley Hospital is now the home to the newest behavioral health inpatient unit in Colorado. On Monday at 7 a.m., UCHealth moved their first patient into the brand-new wing of PVH in Fort Collins. Prior to Monday, UCHealth's nearest inpatient behavioral health unit was located miles way and not connected to a hospital. Therefore, if a medical emergency happened 911 had to be called for care. "Our patients have had to take ambulances," said Daphne Huegerich, director of behavioral health for UCHealth in Northern Colorado. By building a new behavioral health wing connected to an existing hospital, Huegerich said the patients and staff have better access to other forms of care in a more immediate manner. "(This unit) increases accessibility to hospital lists, pharmacists, lab individuals. We are also increasing our capacity from 41 beds to 50 beds with three units. Acute unit, adolescents and adult," Huegerich said.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:12:31 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/500_metrocbsco.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/metrocbsco.png?10000 Colorado Springs Gazette | Whole blood transfusion offers life-saving treatment https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--whole-blood-transfusion-offers-life-saving-treatment/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--whole-blood-transfusion-offers-life-saving-treatment/732561Four months after suffering a near-fatal motorcycle accident on CO 67 N., 72-year-old Guy Theriot attributes his recovery to receiving whole blood in the ambulance. Speaking during a press conference on Nov. 24, Theriot recalled that day in August when he and a friend headed for Sedalia, intending to stop for a hamburger…Crash landing in the gravel, Theriot broke ribs, injured a kidney and ruptured his spleen. Looking back, he recalls being aware of his friend holding his head. “I remember kind of peacefully fading away, but then becoming more lucid and aware,” he said. “It seemed peaceful with a lot of light.” Theriot’s feelings were due to the transfusion of whole blood. The paramedics weighed their options: take the patient by helicopter or ambulance to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs. Before the introduction of whole blood in June, the three would likely have chosen the helicopter. The program is the result of the partnership between UCHealth and the health service district.

]]>Four months after suffering a near-fatal motorcycle accident on CO 67 N., 72-year-old Guy Theriot attributes his recovery to receiving whole blood in the ambulance. Speaking during a press conference on Nov. 24, Theriot recalled that day in August when he and a friend headed for Sedalia, intending to stop for a hamburger…Crash landing in the gravel, Theriot broke ribs, injured a kidney and ruptured his spleen. Looking back, he recalls being aware of his friend holding his head. “I remember kind of peacefully fading away, but then becoming more lucid and aware,” he said. “It seemed peaceful with a lot of light.” Theriot’s feelings were due to the transfusion of whole blood. The paramedics weighed their options: take the patient by helicopter or ambulance to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs. Before the introduction of whole blood in June, the three would likely have chosen the helicopter. The program is the result of the partnership between UCHealth and the health service district.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:05:13 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/500_springsgazette.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/springsgazette.png?10000 Becker's Hospital Review | UCHealth expands access with $150M behavioral health push https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/beckers-hospital-review--uchealth-expands-access-with-150m-behavioral-health-push/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/beckers-hospital-review--uchealth-expands-access-with-150m-behavioral-health-push/732559Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth has expanded access to behavioral health services statewide following a $150 million investment in 2019. The system integrated licensed behavioral health specialists into 62 primary care clinics and expects to reach 65 by the end of the year, resulting in more than 204,000 visits, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. In 2023, it opened a 40-bed inpatient unit at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, where more than 1,200 patients have received care. UCHealth is slated to open a 50-bed inpatient behavioral health unit at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., Dec. 8. The unit is expected to support about 500 additional patients annually.

]]>Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth has expanded access to behavioral health services statewide following a $150 million investment in 2019. The system integrated licensed behavioral health specialists into 62 primary care clinics and expects to reach 65 by the end of the year, resulting in more than 204,000 visits, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. In 2023, it opened a 40-bed inpatient unit at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, where more than 1,200 patients have received care. UCHealth is slated to open a 50-bed inpatient behavioral health unit at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., Dec. 8. The unit is expected to support about 500 additional patients annually.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:02:10 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/74a0611b-b285-469e-bc25-78ef6911da20/500_becker039s.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/74a0611b-b285-469e-bc25-78ef6911da20/becker039s.png?10000 Colorado Community Media | UCHealth Highlands Ranch hospital looks to the next year https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-community-media--uchealth-highlands-ranch-hospital-looks-to-the-next-year/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-community-media--uchealth-highlands-ranch-hospital-looks-to-the-next-year/732558As everyone begins to look to the new year, Highlands Ranch residents can expect to see the construction from the past couple of years of the UCHealth Highlands Ranch hospital come to life. The six-story hospital first opened in June 2019 as Highlands Ranch’s first full-service hospital. However, within three years of operating, Merle Taylor, UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital president, said that the hospital exceeded its projected expectations for a 10-year plan. As a result, in 2023, the hospital announced it would be expanding its services with the addition of two new buildings. “The reason we’re doing this is because we’re growing really fast,” Taylor said. “Physicians want to be here, patients want to be here.” In addition to a tower on the east side of the hospital, the expansion plans included dedicating the top floor of the existing building to shelled space for additional beds and operating rooms. Taylor added that while the hospital originally built shell space so that it could grow, however, they are currently building out some of that space because the occupancy for beds is high and the hospital is constantly operating at capacity.

]]>As everyone begins to look to the new year, Highlands Ranch residents can expect to see the construction from the past couple of years of the UCHealth Highlands Ranch hospital come to life. The six-story hospital first opened in June 2019 as Highlands Ranch’s first full-service hospital. However, within three years of operating, Merle Taylor, UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital president, said that the hospital exceeded its projected expectations for a 10-year plan. As a result, in 2023, the hospital announced it would be expanding its services with the addition of two new buildings. “The reason we’re doing this is because we’re growing really fast,” Taylor said. “Physicians want to be here, patients want to be here.” In addition to a tower on the east side of the hospital, the expansion plans included dedicating the top floor of the existing building to shelled space for additional beds and operating rooms. Taylor added that while the hospital originally built shell space so that it could grow, however, they are currently building out some of that space because the occupancy for beds is high and the hospital is constantly operating at capacity.

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]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:47:15 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/5eea3ec4-bdbc-4686-9361-c40a2d29a067/500_metrocoloradocommunitymedia.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/5eea3ec4-bdbc-4686-9361-c40a2d29a067/metrocoloradocommunitymedia.png?10000 Estes Park Trail-Gazette | Estes Park health now part of UCHealth https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/estes-park-trail-gazette--estes-park-health-now-part-of-uchealth/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/estes-park-trail-gazette--estes-park-health-now-part-of-uchealth/730425After years of negotiations, the hospital in Estes Park on Monday officially became part of UCHealth's network of hospitals and clinics.

]]>After years of negotiations, the hospital in Estes Park on Monday officially became part of UCHealth's network of hospitals and clinics.

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]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2025 21:15:04 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/65165eba-9b74-47b4-8e7c-73fbd493616b/500_nocotrailgazette.jpg?63725 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/65165eba-9b74-47b4-8e7c-73fbd493616b/nocotrailgazette.jpg?63725 KMGH-TV (Denver) | UCHealth is the first in Colorado to offer a new kind of mammogram to catch breast cancer https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--uchealth-is-the-first-in-colorado-to-offer-a-new-kind-of-mammogram-to-catch-breast-cancer/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--uchealth-is-the-first-in-colorado-to-offer-a-new-kind-of-mammogram-to-catch-breast-cancer/730424UCHealth said it's the first in Colorado to offer a kind of mammogram that could be a game changer when it comes to detecting breast cancer. Right now it’s being offered at the Longs Peak Medical Center in Longmont. Dr. Elizabeth Vorhis, a breast radiologist said she uses an IV contrast during a mammogram. It's the same kind of process if you go to the emergency room and get a stomach or chest CT scan. But when it comes to scanning for breast cancer, this can be a big difference for women with dense tissue. "The women that we have a hardest time finding breast cancer in mammography have dense breast tissue," Dr. Vorhis said.

]]>UCHealth said it's the first in Colorado to offer a kind of mammogram that could be a game changer when it comes to detecting breast cancer. Right now it’s being offered at the Longs Peak Medical Center in Longmont. Dr. Elizabeth Vorhis, a breast radiologist said she uses an IV contrast during a mammogram. It's the same kind of process if you go to the emergency room and get a stomach or chest CT scan. But when it comes to scanning for breast cancer, this can be a big difference for women with dense tissue. "The women that we have a hardest time finding breast cancer in mammography have dense breast tissue," Dr. Vorhis said.

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]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2025 21:09:13 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/500_metrodenver7.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/metrodenver7.png?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | UCHealth expands nicotine treatment program to reach Spanish speakers https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--uchealth-expands-nicotine-treatment-program-to-reach-spanish-speakers/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--uchealth-expands-nicotine-treatment-program-to-reach-spanish-speakers/730422UCHealth is expanding its free Tobacco & Nicotine Treatment Program to reach more Coloradans, adding a bilingual specialist as federal funding cuts threaten critical smoking cessation resources nationwide. The expansion comes as the federal government dismantled key groups at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that had been successful in curbing smoking rates, including the "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign…"I think it's harder for the Spanish community to receive help in their native language, so we really want to take the opportunity to say we're here and we can help you," said Yesenia Trevizo, supervisor for UCHealth's Tobacco & Nicotine Treatment Program. The outpatient service provides free counseling for anyone trying to quit smoking, smokeless tobacco or vaping, and for anyone looking to kick the addiction. The program reaches Coloradans anywhere in the state through in-person visits, phone calls or video appointments. "Whether you're quitting smoking, smokeless tobacco or any form of vape, we can help you," Trevizo said. Holly Carter of Grand Junction credited the program with saving her life. She said she was admitted to UCHealth in Aurora on July 3 after her carbon dioxide levels reached 90%.

]]>UCHealth is expanding its free Tobacco & Nicotine Treatment Program to reach more Coloradans, adding a bilingual specialist as federal funding cuts threaten critical smoking cessation resources nationwide. The expansion comes as the federal government dismantled key groups at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that had been successful in curbing smoking rates, including the "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign…"I think it's harder for the Spanish community to receive help in their native language, so we really want to take the opportunity to say we're here and we can help you," said Yesenia Trevizo, supervisor for UCHealth's Tobacco & Nicotine Treatment Program. The outpatient service provides free counseling for anyone trying to quit smoking, smokeless tobacco or vaping, and for anyone looking to kick the addiction. The program reaches Coloradans anywhere in the state through in-person visits, phone calls or video appointments. "Whether you're quitting smoking, smokeless tobacco or any form of vape, we can help you," Trevizo said. Holly Carter of Grand Junction credited the program with saving her life. She said she was admitted to UCHealth in Aurora on July 3 after her carbon dioxide levels reached 90%.

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]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:58:18 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000 KMGH-TV (Denver) | Colorado man warns about fire preparedness after suffering severe burns in mechanical accident https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--colorado-man-warns-about-fire-preparedness-after-suffering-severe-burns-in-mechanical-accident/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--colorado-man-warns-about-fire-preparedness-after-suffering-severe-burns-in-mechanical-accident/728686A Colorado man is raising awareness about the dangers of burns after a car repair accident left him severely injured, leading to over a dozen surgeries and a week in a medically induced coma. Garan Shaw spent months at UCHealth’s Burn and Frostbite Center in Aurora, where doctors performed numerous surgeries to help heal his skin after about 25% of his body was burned last spring. He told FOX31's Anna Coon that he's using the experience to spread awareness. “Basically, it backfired, which caused everything in that vicinity to ignite,” Shaw said. A self-described jack-of-all-trades, Shaw is always working on something around his hometown of Durango. In April 2024, he was helping a friend repair an old car when a disconnected line sprayed fuel onto his body, and he caught fire.

]]>A Colorado man is raising awareness about the dangers of burns after a car repair accident left him severely injured, leading to over a dozen surgeries and a week in a medically induced coma. Garan Shaw spent months at UCHealth’s Burn and Frostbite Center in Aurora, where doctors performed numerous surgeries to help heal his skin after about 25% of his body was burned last spring. He told FOX31's Anna Coon that he's using the experience to spread awareness. “Basically, it backfired, which caused everything in that vicinity to ignite,” Shaw said. A self-described jack-of-all-trades, Shaw is always working on something around his hometown of Durango. In April 2024, he was helping a friend repair an old car when a disconnected line sprayed fuel onto his body, and he caught fire.

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]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:14:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/500_metrodenver7.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/metrodenver7.png?10000 Colorado Springs Gazette | Veteran suicide declines after years of focused prevention in El Paso County https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--veteran-suicide-declines-after-years-of-focused-prevention-in-el-paso-county/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--veteran-suicide-declines-after-years-of-focused-prevention-in-el-paso-county/726968Former Marine Corps Sgt. Heath Miller was facing prison for theft when he decided to get clean. Like many others, his introduction to opioids started with a prescription. He received oxycodone while in the Marines to treat an injury. When he used fentanyl for the first time, he couldn’t tell the difference, and for a long time, drugs were not a driving force in his life.  But during a troubled marriage, he started leaning on fentanyl to numb depression…A lawyer helped him qualify for Veterans Trauma Court through the 4th Judicial District and he got connected to Next Chapter through the specialty court. Next Chapter, a program run through UCHealth and Mt. Carmel Veterans Services Center, was a state-funded pilot aimed at preventing veterans’ suicide… While in the military, troops have built-in camaraderie and without that, some isolate and spiral into crisis, said McCabe, who is also the director of behavioral health and military affairs at UCHealth.  “You’re agitated because your depression and anxiety are with you every day, and nobody knows,” McCabe said, describing the typical pattern. “So you get short-tempered with people, or you choose to self-medicate through drugs or alcohol.”

]]>Former Marine Corps Sgt. Heath Miller was facing prison for theft when he decided to get clean. Like many others, his introduction to opioids started with a prescription. He received oxycodone while in the Marines to treat an injury. When he used fentanyl for the first time, he couldn’t tell the difference, and for a long time, drugs were not a driving force in his life.  But during a troubled marriage, he started leaning on fentanyl to numb depression…A lawyer helped him qualify for Veterans Trauma Court through the 4th Judicial District and he got connected to Next Chapter through the specialty court. Next Chapter, a program run through UCHealth and Mt. Carmel Veterans Services Center, was a state-funded pilot aimed at preventing veterans’ suicide… While in the military, troops have built-in camaraderie and without that, some isolate and spiral into crisis, said McCabe, who is also the director of behavioral health and military affairs at UCHealth.  “You’re agitated because your depression and anxiety are with you every day, and nobody knows,” McCabe said, describing the typical pattern. “So you get short-tempered with people, or you choose to self-medicate through drugs or alcohol.”

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]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:31:41 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/500_springsgazette.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/springsgazette.png?10000 KDVR-TV (Denver) | Denver mom diagnosed with terminal cancer is now cancer free https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kdvr-tv-denver--denver-mom-diagnosed-with-terminal-cancer-is-now-cancer-free/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kdvr-tv-denver--denver-mom-diagnosed-with-terminal-cancer-is-now-cancer-free/726967Subtitle A young Denver mom who received a terminal cancer diagnosis is now cancer-free and is the first patient her doctor has ever known to go into remission with her type and stage of cancer. “I feel so fortunate and so lucky to be here,” said Kate Showalter. In 2022, Showalter was diagnosed with a rare cancer called carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma that began in the salivary glands. She had multiple rounds of treatment, but the cancer metastasized in her neck, behind her ear and then to her lungs. “It had metastasized to my lungs and that is when they said you will die, you are terminal,” Showalter remembers…That’s when Showalter started searching for options and she found one at UCHealth. “I said, ‘I’m going to be the first one to survive this cancer,'” Showalter said. Dr. Daniel Bowles, a medical oncologist at UCHealth, put her on a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy… “In my 15 years of taking care of salivary gland cancers, I’ve never had a situation where someone with that degree of cancer basically went into remission and is cancer-free even after finishing their treatments,” Bowles said.

]]> A young Denver mom who received a terminal cancer diagnosis is now cancer-free and is the first patient her doctor has ever known to go into remission with her type and stage of cancer. “I feel so fortunate and so lucky to be here,” said Kate Showalter. In 2022, Showalter was diagnosed with a rare cancer called carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma that began in the salivary glands. She had multiple rounds of treatment, but the cancer metastasized in her neck, behind her ear and then to her lungs. “It had metastasized to my lungs and that is when they said you will die, you are terminal,” Showalter remembers…That’s when Showalter started searching for options and she found one at UCHealth. “I said, ‘I’m going to be the first one to survive this cancer,'” Showalter said. Dr. Daniel Bowles, a medical oncologist at UCHealth, put her on a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy… “In my 15 years of taking care of salivary gland cancers, I’ve never had a situation where someone with that degree of cancer basically went into remission and is cancer-free even after finishing their treatments,” Bowles said.

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]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:29:05 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4ff3228e-4a92-48d6-91e6-10dcf0913fa8/500_metrofox31.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/4ff3228e-4a92-48d6-91e6-10dcf0913fa8/metrofox31.png?10000 Steamboat Pilot & Today | Routt County Mental Health Response Team creating positive ripple effect https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--routt-county-mental-health-response-team-creating-positive-ripple-effect/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--routt-county-mental-health-response-team-creating-positive-ripple-effect/726966Almost two months into their co-responder role, the two experienced women staffing the new Mental Health Response Team housed at the Routt County Sheriff’s Office are already making a positive impact. “The new clients who spoke to the co-responder support, they speak very highly of the support they are receiving,” said Paunita Muset, child welfare and adult protection supervisor at the Routt County Department of Human Services. “I have seen their work in practice, and it is impactful.” The co-responder team established through a partnership with the sheriff’s office and UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center provides a specially trained officer — Sheriff’s Deputy Dawn Smith — and a partnering clinician, licensed clinical social worker Tracy Dierksen, who can respond as needed across Routt County including within Steamboat Springs.

]]>Almost two months into their co-responder role, the two experienced women staffing the new Mental Health Response Team housed at the Routt County Sheriff’s Office are already making a positive impact. “The new clients who spoke to the co-responder support, they speak very highly of the support they are receiving,” said Paunita Muset, child welfare and adult protection supervisor at the Routt County Department of Human Services. “I have seen their work in practice, and it is impactful.” The co-responder team established through a partnership with the sheriff’s office and UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center provides a specially trained officer — Sheriff’s Deputy Dawn Smith — and a partnering clinician, licensed clinical social worker Tracy Dierksen, who can respond as needed across Routt County including within Steamboat Springs.

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]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:26:42 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/500_yampapilot.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/yampapilot.png?10000 KMGH-TV (Denver) | 'A blessing to be able to save a life': Man using his experience to raise awareness about organ donation https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--a-blessing-to-be-able-to-save-a-life-man-using-his-experience-to-raise-awareness-about-organ-donation/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kmgh-tv-denver--a-blessing-to-be-able-to-save-a-life-man-using-his-experience-to-raise-awareness-about-organ-donation/726965Doctors at UCHealth say there are hundreds of thousands of patients in the country who are candidates for kidney transplants, and if they went through with surgery, it could essentially double their predicted lifespan. “When people come forward and, you know, want to be a living donor, you're providing a significant benefit to another individual. You're changing their life,” said Trevor Nydam, the chief of transplantation at University of Colorado Hospital and CU Medical School. And five years ago, one man did just that. When it came time to change his mother-in-law’s life, Jason Elmore didn’t hesitate…In January of 2020, Elmore scheduled the first surgery he could with UCHealth, flying to Colorado from Texas to give his mother-in-law what he refers to as an “amazing gift."

Doctors at UCHealth say there are hundreds of thousands of patients in the country who are candidates for kidney transplants, and if they went through with surgery, it could essentially double their predicted lifespan. “When people come forward and, you know, want to be a living donor, you're providing a significant benefit to another individual. You're changing their life,” said Trevor Nydam, the chief of transplantation at University of Colorado Hospital and CU Medical School. And five years ago, one man did just that. When it came time to change his mother-in-law’s life, Jason Elmore didn’t hesitate…In January of 2020, Elmore scheduled the first surgery he could with UCHealth, flying to Colorado from Texas to give his mother-in-law what he refers to as an “amazing gift."

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]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:22:39 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/500_metrodenver7.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/b5de6539-da1d-48c7-93d9-7a47a35f8c60/metrodenver7.png?10000 KOAA-TV | PCC partners with UCHealth to provide free tuition to Parkview employees https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/koaa-tv--pcc-partners-with-uchealth-to-provide-free-tuition-to-parkview-employees/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/koaa-tv--pcc-partners-with-uchealth-to-provide-free-tuition-to-parkview-employees/723190SubtitleThe demand for nurses is high in Colorado. And, Pueblo Community College, along with UCHealth, wants to help with that. UCHealth says a study from the Colorado Hospital Association shows Colorado could be short of registered nurses by more than 10,000 by 2026. To help with this gap, UCHealth is offering to pay for the education of its non-nursing employees at Parkview to get an associate's degree in nursing. "This now allows our employees to go to school while earning a wage and continue their education and skills. And for UCHealth Parkview, this strengthens the care and quality of care that we're able to provide to southern Colorado." Racheal Morris with Parkview Medical Center said. The cost for the degree is being covered by UCHealth's Ascend Career Program, which covers tuition, books, and other fees.

]]>The demand for nurses is high in Colorado. And, Pueblo Community College, along with UCHealth, wants to help with that. UCHealth says a study from the Colorado Hospital Association shows Colorado could be short of registered nurses by more than 10,000 by 2026. To help with this gap, UCHealth is offering to pay for the education of its non-nursing employees at Parkview to get an associate's degree in nursing. "This now allows our employees to go to school while earning a wage and continue their education and skills. And for UCHealth Parkview, this strengthens the care and quality of care that we're able to provide to southern Colorado." Racheal Morris with Parkview Medical Center said. The cost for the degree is being covered by UCHealth's Ascend Career Program, which covers tuition, books, and other fees.

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]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:34:40 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/19576f32-1e9e-4ebb-a321-9fd13e04be59/500_springskoaa.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/19576f32-1e9e-4ebb-a321-9fd13e04be59/springskoaa.png?10000 Colorado Springs Gazette | Calm in a storm: Memorial Hospital's forensic nursing center is a one-of-a-kind resource https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--calm-in-a-storm-memorial-hospitals-forensic-nursing-center-is-a-one-of-a-kind-resource/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/colorado-springs-gazette--calm-in-a-storm-memorial-hospitals-forensic-nursing-center-is-a-one-of-a-kind-resource/723188Steps away from the clamor of one of the country’s busiest emergency departments, a first-of-its-kind, 24-hour medical unit in Colorado Springs strives for serenity in the treatment of patients whose physical injuries only hint at the horrors they’ve survived. A security badge is flashed and the doors just beyond the ER check-in desk at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central whoosh open, then shut, sealing off the world outside the Forensic Center of Excellence as effectively as a spaceship airlock. Within this sanctum, victims of abuse and intimate partner violence can access emergent medical care, trauma support and services — and begin the fight for justice, if that’s what they choose — in as non-triggering an environment as a hospital could hope to provide. 

 

]]>Steps away from the clamor of one of the country’s busiest emergency departments, a first-of-its-kind, 24-hour medical unit in Colorado Springs strives for serenity in the treatment of patients whose physical injuries only hint at the horrors they’ve survived. A security badge is flashed and the doors just beyond the ER check-in desk at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central whoosh open, then shut, sealing off the world outside the Forensic Center of Excellence as effectively as a spaceship airlock. Within this sanctum, victims of abuse and intimate partner violence can access emergent medical care, trauma support and services — and begin the fight for justice, if that’s what they choose — in as non-triggering an environment as a hospital could hope to provide. 

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]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:32:43 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/500_springsgazette.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/16d2ad97-4034-427b-b668-23187f1f334a/springsgazette.png?10000 NPR | Lab results confusing? Some patients use AI to interpret them, for better or worse https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/npr--lab-results-confusing-some-patients-use-ai-to-interpret-them-for-better-or-worse/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/npr--lab-results-confusing-some-patients-use-ai-to-interpret-them-for-better-or-worse/723186Justin Honce, a neuroradiologist at UCHealth in Colorado, said it can be very difficult for patients who are not medically trained to know whether AI chatbots make mistakes. "Ultimately, it's just the need for caution overall with LLMs. With the latest models, these concerns are continuing to get less and less of an issue but have not been entirely resolved," Honce said. Rodman has seen a surge in AI use among his patients in the past six months. In one case, a patient took a screenshot of his hospital lab results on MyChart then uploaded them to ChatGPT to prepare questions ahead of his appointment. Rodman said he welcomes patients' showing him how they use AI, and that their research creates an opportunity for discussion.

]]>Justin Honce, a neuroradiologist at UCHealth in Colorado, said it can be very difficult for patients who are not medically trained to know whether AI chatbots make mistakes. "Ultimately, it's just the need for caution overall with LLMs. With the latest models, these concerns are continuing to get less and less of an issue but have not been entirely resolved," Honce said. Rodman has seen a surge in AI use among his patients in the past six months. In one case, a patient took a screenshot of his hospital lab results on MyChart then uploaded them to ChatGPT to prepare questions ahead of his appointment. Rodman said he welcomes patients' showing him how they use AI, and that their research creates an opportunity for discussion.

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]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:29:53 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/8616237d-6f89-464c-a28e-097bfc8623b9/500_npr.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/8616237d-6f89-464c-a28e-097bfc8623b9/npr.jpg?10000 KCNC-TV (Denver) | Stroke survivors in Northern Colorado have higher chance of recovery thanks to procedure offered by UCHealth https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--stroke-survivors-in-northern-colorado-have-higher-chance-of-recovery-thanks-to-procedure-offered-by-uchealth/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kcnc-tv-denver--stroke-survivors-in-northern-colorado-have-higher-chance-of-recovery-thanks-to-procedure-offered-by-uchealth/723185More than 100 people in Northern Colorado are surviving their past experience with stroke with fewer deficiencies thanks to a procedure now being offered by UCHealth. Prior to 2023, the nearest place a stroke patient could be treated with a thrombectomy was in Denver. However, UCHealth started offering the life-saving procedure at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland recently, offering the fastest growing region in the state a critical service. The service being offered in Northern Colorado now helps better serve residents between Casper, Wyoming, and Denver, where other hospitals offer the service.

]]>More than 100 people in Northern Colorado are surviving their past experience with stroke with fewer deficiencies thanks to a procedure now being offered by UCHealth. Prior to 2023, the nearest place a stroke patient could be treated with a thrombectomy was in Denver. However, UCHealth started offering the life-saving procedure at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland recently, offering the fastest growing region in the state a critical service. The service being offered in Northern Colorado now helps better serve residents between Casper, Wyoming, and Denver, where other hospitals offer the service.

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]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:25:46 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/500_metrocbsco.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/0c646e2c-9de6-42b0-9ae0-18d8812d0f1c/metrocbsco.png?10000 KKTV-TV | Pueblo AMR Ambulances to carry whole blood through new partnership with UCHealth https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--pueblo-amr-ambulances-to-carry-whole-blood-through-new-partnership-with-uchealth/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kktv-tv--pueblo-amr-ambulances-to-carry-whole-blood-through-new-partnership-with-uchealth/719693American Medical Response (AMR) ambulances in Pueblo will now carry whole blood on select ambulance units, city officials said. According to UCHealth, this initiative will allow pre-hospital transfusions for patients with severe blood loss. This comes after the Colorado Springs Fire Department and Teller County have rolled out similar programs. The initiative is the first of its kind in Pueblo and is the result of a collaboration between AMR and UCHealth, as well as support from the southern Colorado community.

]]>American Medical Response (AMR) ambulances in Pueblo will now carry whole blood on select ambulance units, city officials said. According to UCHealth, this initiative will allow pre-hospital transfusions for patients with severe blood loss. This comes after the Colorado Springs Fire Department and Teller County have rolled out similar programs. The initiative is the first of its kind in Pueblo and is the result of a collaboration between AMR and UCHealth, as well as support from the southern Colorado community.

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]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 22:07:52 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/500_springskktv.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/647af675-7414-438e-ae7f-b25f60e10912/springskktv.png?10000 Loveland Reporter-Herald | Stroke survivor returns to Loveland hospital where her life was saved https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/loveland-reporter-herald--stroke-survivor-returns-to-loveland-hospital-where-her-life-was-saved/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/loveland-reporter-herald--stroke-survivor-returns-to-loveland-hospital-where-her-life-was-saved/719692Erica Brown woke up one morning in February with a headache. Thinking nothing of it, she tried to go downstairs at her Loveland home to find some Tylenol. She quickly began staggering to the side, using walls for balance and causing enough noise that her husband, Matt Brown, heard her from downstairs where he was putting coffee on…Thompson Valley EMS arrived within five minutes, he said, and transported her to the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, the only hospital in Northern Colorado that offers mechanical thrombectomy, a specialized procedure that removes large blood clots from the brain by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel and snaking it up through the body into the brain, where a device can pull or suction out a clot. The procedure was performed by Dr. Gautam Sachdeva, a neurointerventionalist at Medical Center of the Rockies, and Brown made a full recovery without lasting neurological damage, and other than fatigue and a tiny scar in her leg where a catheter was inserted, she has suffered no side effects.

]]>Erica Brown woke up one morning in February with a headache. Thinking nothing of it, she tried to go downstairs at her Loveland home to find some Tylenol. She quickly began staggering to the side, using walls for balance and causing enough noise that her husband, Matt Brown, heard her from downstairs where he was putting coffee on…Thompson Valley EMS arrived within five minutes, he said, and transported her to the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, the only hospital in Northern Colorado that offers mechanical thrombectomy, a specialized procedure that removes large blood clots from the brain by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel and snaking it up through the body into the brain, where a device can pull or suction out a clot. The procedure was performed by Dr. Gautam Sachdeva, a neurointerventionalist at Medical Center of the Rockies, and Brown made a full recovery without lasting neurological damage, and other than fatigue and a tiny scar in her leg where a catheter was inserted, she has suffered no side effects.

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]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 22:03:55 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/35832b6a-784b-4f9e-98b4-dfa7e0c919cd/500_nocoreporter-herald.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/35832b6a-784b-4f9e-98b4-dfa7e0c919cd/nocoreporter-herald.png?10000 Newsweek | Seeing Growing Exodus, State Organ Donor Registries Urge 'Perspective' https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/newsweek--seeing-growing-exodus-state-organ-donor-registries-urge-perspective/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/newsweek--seeing-growing-exodus-state-organ-donor-registries-urge-perspective/719691More than 5,000 people have removed themselves from California's organ donor registry as part of an escalating national shift in the wake of federal scrutiny and reporting by the New York Times, officials told Newsweek... The coverage prompted the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, a trade group for 46 of 55 federally designated nonprofit entities that help facilitate donations, to accuse the newspaper of a "lack of balance and accuracy" while reporting on problems within the nation's expansive transplant system... Dr. Trevor Nydam, chief of transplant surgery at UCHealth Transplant Center in Colorado, said patients in desperate need of transplants could be directly impacted if the troubling registry removal trend continues unabated across the country. "It's where it all begins," Nydam said of willing donors during an interview Monday. "It's extremely critical." Nydam characterized the impact of recent reporting on the nation's organ donor and transplant system as "not insignificant," insisting any factor that decreases the number of potential donors to be fundamentally problematic.

]]>More than 5,000 people have removed themselves from California's organ donor registry as part of an escalating national shift in the wake of federal scrutiny and reporting by the New York Times, officials told Newsweek... The coverage prompted the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, a trade group for 46 of 55 federally designated nonprofit entities that help facilitate donations, to accuse the newspaper of a "lack of balance and accuracy" while reporting on problems within the nation's expansive transplant system... Dr. Trevor Nydam, chief of transplant surgery at UCHealth Transplant Center in Colorado, said patients in desperate need of transplants could be directly impacted if the troubling registry removal trend continues unabated across the country. "It's where it all begins," Nydam said of willing donors during an interview Monday. "It's extremely critical." Nydam characterized the impact of recent reporting on the nation's organ donor and transplant system as "not insignificant," insisting any factor that decreases the number of potential donors to be fundamentally problematic.

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]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 21:59:39 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/e37ebdb4-fe03-4b8b-bdb5-ca8d85bc852f/500_newsweek.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/e37ebdb4-fe03-4b8b-bdb5-ca8d85bc852f/newsweek.jpg?10000 NPR | How surgeons build a new bladder for cancer patients like Deion Sanders https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/npr--how-surgeons-build-a-new-bladder-for-cancer-patients-like-deion-sanders/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/npr--how-surgeons-build-a-new-bladder-for-cancer-patients-like-deion-sanders/719689At 57, two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders, has a brand-new bladder. The University of Colorado coach recently underwent reconstructive surgery to treat an aggressive form of bladder cancer after doctors discovered a tumor this spring. The procedure, called neobladder reconstruction, uses tissue from the patient's own small intestine…The human body's ability to adapt to such a procedure is "amazing," says Sanders' surgeon, Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Patients usually spend just a few days recovering in the hospital. She performed Sanders' neobladder reconstruction robotically and with a laparoscopic camera, a method that only requires small incisions. Kukreja told NPR that a cool aspect of this surgery is that because the neobladder is created from the body's own tissue, a patient's immune system doesn't reject the new organ. So patients with neobladders don't need immunosuppressant medications.

]]>At 57, two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders, has a brand-new bladder. The University of Colorado coach recently underwent reconstructive surgery to treat an aggressive form of bladder cancer after doctors discovered a tumor this spring. The procedure, called neobladder reconstruction, uses tissue from the patient's own small intestine…The human body's ability to adapt to such a procedure is "amazing," says Sanders' surgeon, Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Patients usually spend just a few days recovering in the hospital. She performed Sanders' neobladder reconstruction robotically and with a laparoscopic camera, a method that only requires small incisions. Kukreja told NPR that a cool aspect of this surgery is that because the neobladder is created from the body's own tissue, a patient's immune system doesn't reject the new organ. So patients with neobladders don't need immunosuppressant medications.

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]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 21:49:30 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/8616237d-6f89-464c-a28e-097bfc8623b9/500_npr.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/8616237d-6f89-464c-a28e-097bfc8623b9/npr.jpg?10000 Steamboat Pilot & Today | Behavioral health needs call for 'all hands on deck' https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--behavioral-health-needs-call-for-all-hands-on-deck/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/steamboat-pilot--today--behavioral-health-needs-call-for-all-hands-on-deck/719687The continuing behavioral and mental health struggles of citizens and an elevated number of suicides in the Yampa Valley are leading to an “all hands on deck” response as evidenced by a powerhouse of officials who gathered for the launch of the Yampa Valley Behavioral Health Coalition... Another important mental health measure slated to go live at the end of August is the Routt County Mental Health Response Team, a new local co-responder partner program, explained Dawn Smith, sheriff’s office patrol deputy. The team is designed to improve responses to behavioral health crises by pairing a specially trained deputy with a mental health clinician. The Routt County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center to provide the service, which is co-sponsored by UCHealth in other Colorado communities. This co-responding partnership “aims to stabilize individuals in crisis, divert residents from unnecessary hospitalization or incarceration, and connect them with essential services,” according to a Routt County news release.

]]>The continuing behavioral and mental health struggles of citizens and an elevated number of suicides in the Yampa Valley are leading to an “all hands on deck” response as evidenced by a powerhouse of officials who gathered for the launch of the Yampa Valley Behavioral Health Coalition... Another important mental health measure slated to go live at the end of August is the Routt County Mental Health Response Team, a new local co-responder partner program, explained Dawn Smith, sheriff’s office patrol deputy. The team is designed to improve responses to behavioral health crises by pairing a specially trained deputy with a mental health clinician. The Routt County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center to provide the service, which is co-sponsored by UCHealth in other Colorado communities. This co-responding partnership “aims to stabilize individuals in crisis, divert residents from unnecessary hospitalization or incarceration, and connect them with essential services,” according to a Routt County news release.

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]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 21:44:27 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/500_yampapilot.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/ecb21d8c-3a36-44e5-bcec-81707424e0fa/yampapilot.png?10000 ABC World News Tonight | NFL great Deion Sanders opens up about his health battle https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/abc-world-news-tonight--nfl-great-deion-sanders-opens-up-about-his-health-battle/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/abc-world-news-tonight--nfl-great-deion-sanders-opens-up-about-his-health-battle/716194Just three months ago Deion Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer. His medical team at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital now consider him cured. “I am pleased to report the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer,” said Dr. Janet Kukreja, director, urologic oncology, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

]]>Just three months ago Deion Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer. His medical team at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital now consider him cured. “I am pleased to report the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer,” said Dr. Janet Kukreja, director, urologic oncology, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

]]> Mon, 04 Aug 2025 19:26:13 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/42f37d74-60a9-4e66-badb-007a055fa1b8/500_abcnews.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/42f37d74-60a9-4e66-badb-007a055fa1b8/abcnews.jpg?10000 KUSA-TV (Denver) | Colorado woman urges women over 60 to prioritize gynecological car after a misconception nearly cost her life https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--colorado-woman-urges-women-over-60-to-prioritize-gynecological-car-after-a-misconception-nearly-cost-her-life/ https://www.uchealth.org/newsroom/kusa-tv-denver--colorado-woman-urges-women-over-60-to-prioritize-gynecological-car-after-a-misconception-nearly-cost-her-life/716192A Colorado woman is urging other women over 60 not to skip their annual gynecological visits — a mistake she says nearly cost her life. Jeanenne Tapia was 68 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 vulvar cancer, a rare gynecologic disease that had spread to her lymph nodes and bones. It was her first pelvic exam in more than a decade. “I heard that after 60 you no longer needed gynecological screenings, pap smears, pelvic exams, mammograms,” Tapia said. “And I didn’t need anyone to give me that info twice because as most women, I didn’t like those screenings.”…Dr. Carolyn Lefkowits, a gynecologic oncologist and palliative care specialist at UCHealth, treated Tapia and said her story highlights a dangerous misconception. “All women should see their OB-GYN once a year for well-woman care, regardless of age,” Lefkowits said.

]]>A Colorado woman is urging other women over 60 not to skip their annual gynecological visits — a mistake she says nearly cost her life. Jeanenne Tapia was 68 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 vulvar cancer, a rare gynecologic disease that had spread to her lymph nodes and bones. It was her first pelvic exam in more than a decade. “I heard that after 60 you no longer needed gynecological screenings, pap smears, pelvic exams, mammograms,” Tapia said. “And I didn’t need anyone to give me that info twice because as most women, I didn’t like those screenings.”…Dr. Carolyn Lefkowits, a gynecologic oncologist and palliative care specialist at UCHealth, treated Tapia and said her story highlights a dangerous misconception. “All women should see their OB-GYN once a year for well-woman care, regardless of age,” Lefkowits said.

]]> Mon, 04 Aug 2025 19:12:39 +0200 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/500_metro9news.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2947/6394695b-2e1d-4e5b-a910-eadd2d03fb52/metro9news.png?10000