By Dr. Shelley Dworet Back in the 1960s when I first thought about becoming a pediatrician, I was in my mid-teens.I asked my own pediatrician, a woman who had known me since birth, if I could shadow her for a day. What an experience to watch her see patients at Brigham Women and Childrens Hospital in Boston, then follow her back to her elegant office in Brookline. Behind the closed doors of her private space, her desk was piled with charts and letters, and journals stacked on the floor and chairs.All at once, I didnt feel so guilty about the…
Category: Opinion - Part 4
By Denali Johnson Colorado has one of the fastest growing aging populations in the U.S. Currently, one in nine Coloradans is a senior citizen. By the year 2030, that will increase to about one in five. While Colorado historically has had one of the smallest percentages of seniors, our annual growth rate is now 3 percent above the national average. The increasing number and percent of older adults in Colorado presents new opportunities and challenges to communities across the state. With the baby boomer generation aging, a larger number of active older adults will be available to contribute to the…
By Michele Lueck In college basketball, being No. 1 means winning the Final Four. In cinema, it means taking home an Oscar. But when it comes to Colorados health, being No. 1 could improve hundreds of thousands of lives and greatly benefit the local economy and business environment. Though Colorado already is No. 1 in certain measures (we have the leanest and most-active adult population of any state), the 2012 Colorado Health Report Card shows theres plenty of room for improvements. For example, were No. 31 among other states in prenatal care and No. 38 in childrens preventative dental care….
By Edie Sonn Measuring outcomes in meaningful and consistent ways; giving providers incentives to improve; holding them accountable for their results. Comparing providers against their peers as well as against their own historical trend. Rewarding low-performers who improve, without penalizing high-performers that dont have as far to go. Making sense of a bewildering tangle of expectations and requirements. Thats the landscape of health care accountability, right? Yes, and its also the landscape of school accountability. Every single balancing act described above that lies at the heart of every discussion we have about paying for value in health care echoes the…
By Emily King What comes to mind when you think of the term Young Invincible? You might picture a twenty-something, perhaps unemployed or underemployed. Maybe living in a parents basement, consuming an above-average amount of Ramen noodles. This twenty-something chooses not to purchase health insurance, the thinking goes, because getting sick is not something he or she can even picture a perceived invincibility and there are plenty of more fun things to buy. Findings from the 2011 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) suggest that last sentence isnt true for most young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 in…
By Stephanie Wasserman We know that childhood vaccines are a safe, easy, and cost-effective way to help prevent disease and keep children healthy as they grow. Research shows that children who are vaccinated experience fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and premature deaths. But, unfortunately, many kids dont have access to routine vaccinations. Thats why the Colorado Childrens Immunization Coalition (CCIC) comprised of over 300 doctors, researchers, public health experts, parents, and business leaders is supporting Senate Bill 222, which would help keep Colorado kids healthy by providing better access to vaccines. CCIC was formed in 1991 to raise awareness and improve…
By Vicki Cowart Over the past decade as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, I have heard countless stories from parents who struggle having the talk with their teens. Through the work of PPRMs Responsible Sex Education Institute, I also hear stories from teachers and principals about wanting more support to equip students with appropriate information about sexual health. And from the many teens our educators speak to on a weekly and daily basis, we know that teens are curious they want real answers and real information about sexual health and whats going on with their…
By Gretchen Hammer In 2012, Colorado welcomed roughly 1,800 refugees as new residents of our state. Mirroring national trends, in recent years the majority of refugees who settle in Colorado are Bhutanese, Burmese, from Iraq and Iran, and from African countries including Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia. The path to Colorado is not smooth for many of these individuals and families. Many have spent years living in camps or moving from place to place to escape danger and suffering. By definition, refugees are persons who have fled their home country due to a well-founded fear…
By Michael Lott Manier In the wake of the heartbreaking tragedies in Aurora and Newtown, the debate over gun control has taken center stage in Colorado. The legislature is now set to consider an expansion of the ways in which individuals who have received treatment for mental health conditions or substance use disorders (collectively known as behavioral health) can be prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. The rampage killings that reignited the gun control debate have been inextricably linked in the public consciousness with the issue of mental health. Politicians and gun-rights advocates have focused on the message that the…
By Bob Semro The expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act will help thousands of Colorado families who lack insurance. Youve probably heard that. What you might not have heard is that the expansion will greatly benefit a large number of Colorados aging baby boomers. These are low-income residents between the ages of 50 and 64 who may be in great need of health care coverage but often are not be able to afford it. Senate Bill 200, which recently passed in the Colorado Senates Health and Human Services Committee by a bipartisan vote of 5-2, is the…