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Volume 7 | Issue 24 | June 10, 2014
Mentions in the media almost
always have unforeseen consequences. Although we never really
know how they will work, we
strive to get positive mentions in
the media to help attract patients
and gain attention to our clinical
outcomes, our advanced facilities and, not least, the enormous
benefits to a patient that academic
medicine can bring.
UCH in the News
Notable mentions of the hospital, its people and its community.
Insurers fall flat on flu reimbursement.
Infection Control Today, 5/14
School-based flu shot programs enjoy solid
parental support and are effective in reaching
large numbers of children, but their success is
limited by low reimbursement rates from insurers,
according to a CU School of Medicine study of a
program administered by Denver Public Schools.
Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, who led the study, is
quoted. Story.
Interested in the hospital’s media
relations efforts? Have an idea
you think the media may like?
Want to see the stories behind
the stories?
Contact Jessica Berry,
media relations coordinator
•E
mail her at
[email protected]
•C
all her at 720-848-5878
Crashing on pot.
Denver Post, 5/15
A new study from the CU School of Medicine
shows the number of drivers involved in fatal
crashes who have tested positive for marijuana
has increased since the drug became commercially
available. The study fails to show, however, if the
drivers were impaired at the time of the accidents.
In a separate study, CU researchers found
perception of the risks of marijuana has decreased
across age groups. Stacy Salomonsen-Sautel, who
led the stoned-driving study, is mentioned. Story.
Medicare charges questioned.
Colorado Public Radio, 5/15
Data recently made public suggest that some
physicians may be charging Medicare higher-thanexpected rates for routine visits. While physicians
would be expected to see both complex and
routine patients, the 15 physicians who billed at
the highest rates 100 percent of the time may have
valid reasons for doing so, story sources said. One
of the 15, Marilyn Levi, MD, a transplant infectious
disease specialist, said she bills office visits at the
highest level because she sees the toughest-to-treat
patients. “The time that is required to take care of
them is longer than some of the other specialties in
infectious disease,” Levi says. “That’s the reason for
the longer time periods required for their evaluation
and treatment, and that results in the higher coding.”
Story.
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Volume 7 | Issue 24 | June 10, 2014 | Page 2
Clinic keeps medicine down on the farm.
Colorado Public Radio, 5/15
Residents of a rural area in southwest Guatemala are
getting much needed care, thanks to a partnership between
the CU School of Medicine and owners of a banana plantation.
Edwin Jose Asturias, with the Colorado School of Public Health,
grew up in the region and recognized the need for basic care for
residents, many of whom suffer health problems caused by poor
sanitation. The plantation owners, who are friends of Asturias,
donated $1 million for the clinic, which is staffed by School of
Medicine residents and faculty. Story.
Neonate survives Graves’ threat.
9News, 5/22
An expectant mother with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune
disorder that causes overproduction of thyroid hormones,
had her thyroid removed and took medication to control her
hormone production. But she discovered that her body was still
producing antibodies that crossed the placenta and stimulated
the baby’s thyroid gland. Physicians saw the baby’s heart rate was
abnormally high in-utero and performed two procedures to deliver
anti-thyroid medications that successfully controlled hormone
levels. Meghan Donnelly, MD, quoted. Story.
A cut at pediatric stroke.
Denver Post, 5/18
A $2.5 million grant to physicians at the CU School of Medicine
will help fund research to study the effects of strokes on children.
“The grant gives us the opportunity to explore in detail the
outcomes of strokes in kids and what kind of quality of life did
they end up having,” said Tim Bernard, MD. Story.
Groundbreaking drug legislation breaks through.
Drug Discovery & Development, 5/22
A “breakthrough therapy” bill written by Colorado Senator
Michael Bennet speeds Food and Drug Administration approval of
drugs that can deliver potentially life-saving results. Bennet was
at University of Colorado Hospital last week to meet with a patient
who now has access to one such drug and with Ross Camidge, MD,
head of the Lung Cancer program at UCH. Story.
Going public with pregnancy.
9News, 5/19
Becky Ditchfield of 9News shares the story of her high-risk
pregnancy. Ms. Ditchfield has a rare condition called uterus
didelphys, which means she has two uteri and cervices. Each uteri
is about half the size of a normal one, which increases the risk of a
preterm pregnancy. Ditchfield’s OB/gyn, Patricia Huguelet, MD, is
quoted. Story.
Sipping sunscreen.
Denver Business Journal, 5/21
An Evergreen, Colo.-based skin care company is marketing a
drinkable sunscreen it claims provides SPF 30 protection from
ultraviolet rays for up to three hours. The company’s founder says
the ingredients in the solution assist the body in naturally repelling
UV rays, but Theresa Pacheco, MD, says she sees no scientific
reason why the concoction would work. Story.
A “monumental” work revives memories of AIDS battles.
US News and World Report, 5/23
Thirty years after it spurred intense debate with its frank
examination of the early years of the AIDS crisis, “A Normal
Heart” has made it to television, with an airing on HBO. The
groundbreaking work has revived interest in the period, which
was marked by fear, misunderstanding, and hostility toward the
gay community, says Therese Jones, PhD, who teaches a course
on AIDS and American culture. The play’s 1985 stage debut “was
an opportunity not only to educate the people at risk about what
was going on – and we knew very, very little – but also it became
an opportunity to educate audiences who were themselves afraid
of the people most impacted by this terrible epidemic: gay men,”
Jones says. Story.
With assistance, patient carries on the fight.
9News, 5/26
Carlo Spivey, 52, has stage IV lung cancer and limited time to live.
But he’s continuing with treatment at the University of Colorado
Cancer Center, where providers help meet basic needs for him and
three-year-old son Dylan. Joan Hart interviewed. For more on this
story, see this issue and the May 14 issue of the Insider.