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  • Peak Vista honors major contributors and More

    Peak Vista honors major contributors and More

    Peak Vista Appoints Director of Public Affairs

    Peak Vista Community Health Centers (Peak Vista) welcomes Zakary Watson as Director of Public Affairs for its 26 health centers across the Pikes Peak and East Central regions.

    Watson earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She brings ten years of experience developing integrated marketing campaigns for high-profile brands such as NBC, Kraft, Pfizer and Disney. Watson has a deep understanding of strategic planning and delivering authentic and compelling messaging to drive brand awareness.

    Watson maintains a close work relationship with President and CEO, Pam McManus and leads implementation of structures necessary to move Peak Vista’s strategic plan forward. Watson is responsible for Peak Vista’s policy position, internal and external advocacy and communication for Board Members, donors, state and federal legislators and public officials.

    I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of Peak Vista and to help ensure healthier lives for members of our communities — Watson

    Watson was raised in eastern Oklahoma and now resides in Monument, Colorado with her two children. She is currently training towards her black belt in taekwondo and enjoys watching college football, hiking, and photography.

     

    Peak Vista Community Health Center Honors Representative Tony Exum, Sr.

    Peak Vista Community Health Centers (Peak Vista) attended Colorado Community Health Network’s (CCHN) annual award ceremony for Community Health Champions and Advocates; individuals who support the work of Colorado Community Health Centers (CHCs).

    Peak Vista proudly nominated Representative Tony Exum, Sr., State House District 17 for CCHN’s Legislator Community Health Champion Award.

    In her presentation of the award, President and CEO, Pam McManus, stated:

    Rep. Exum believes every Coloradan should have access to high-quality and affordable health care and he has strongly supported Colorado’s health insurance marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado. He understands the importance and need of CHCs in underserved areas. Peak Vista serves over 9,465 patients in Rep. Exum’s district, and through recognizing this fact – Rep. Exum has prioritized understanding the various and vital services that Peak Vista provides in the community. Rep. Exum has voted favorably for CCHN and Peak Vista legislative priorities throughout his tenure in the state house. His ongoing support helps Peak Vista provide our communities with necessary programs, resources and services for the underserved.

    During a recent visit and tour of Peak Vista’s Academy Campus, Rep. Exum expressed his support and willingness to partner on issues of importance to Peak Vista and their patients – his constituents.

     

    Peak Vista Community Health Center Honors Dr. Richard Moothart

    Peak Vista Community Health Centers (Peak Vista) attended Colorado Community Health Network’s (CCHN) annual award ceremony for Community Health Champions and Advocates; individuals who support the work of Colorado Community Health Centers (CHCs).

    Peak Vista proudly nominated Dr. Richard W. Moothart for CCHN’s Volunteer Clinician Community Health Champion Award.

    Dr. Moothart graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. After completing a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Colorado Medical Center, Dr. Moothart entered into private practice in Colorado Springs, taking time during his career to serve on numerous hospital committees as well as hospital medical staff leadership positions. He introduced the use of echocardiography, the intra-aortic balloon pump and started the use of interventional coronary angioplasty at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs.

    President and CEO, Pam McManus described Dr. Moothart’s contribution to Peak Vista:

    After his retirement from private practice, Dr. Moothart began volunteering at Peak Vista in August 2010. He typically sees our patients during three-hour clinic sessions he holds on a nearly weekly basis at our volunteer health center. Since November of 2012, Dr. Moothart has seen 257 cardiology consults. Without question, Dr. Moothart has provided much needed patient access to cardiology consultative services for our Peak Vista patients for the past seven years. He truly epitomizes those ideals of selfless service that are an integral part of the Hippocratic Oath.”

    On accepting the award, Dr. Moothart stated, “These patients give me more than I give them.”

      

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  • Former Head of EPA speaks at Colorado State University — Feb. 28

    Former Head of EPA speaks at Colorado State University — Feb. 28

    Gina McCarthy, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be at the Colorado State University campus, addressing topics of sustainability, world health and climate change, on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Ballroom.

    McCarthy, who served as EPA Administrator in the Obama administration from 2013-17, is also a Harvard University Senior Fellow at the Institute of Politics and Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard. A leader in public health and environmental protection, she helped develop the Climate Action Plan, signed the Clean Power Plan, and spurred international efforts to secure the Paris Climate Agreement.

    McCarthy is appearing as part of the CSU Office of International Programs’ Global Engagement Lecture Series.

    We are very honored to host such an extraordinary and influential global thought leader on campus. — Shauna DeLuca, assistant director of Global Co-Curricular Initiatives for International Programs.

    The talk is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Register online at csutix.com.

     

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  • ‘Information, Misinformation and Disinformation’ — CSU symposium sorts it out March 1

    ‘Information, Misinformation and Disinformation’ — CSU symposium sorts it out March 1

    All of us have been bombarded for months, even years, by news, fake news, information, misinformation, disinformation, alternative facts, confusing mentions of truth, lies, ideologies, opinions, beliefs, fiction, scientific findings and denials of scientific findings, predatory journals, and what Winston Churchill called “terminological inexactitudes.”

    It’s time we discuss a subject that begs to be brought up in public: Facts.

    And Colorado State University has the experts who can help us define what a “fact” is, and the impact of such a concept on our lives and our country.

    WHEN: March 1, 4-6 p.m.

    WHERE: Morgan Library Event Hall on the CSU campus- no preregistration is required; seating is limited.

    (parking is available in Lot 425 – accessible from South Shields Street and West Pitkin Street)

    HOW: The event is free and open to the public

    WHO: Four faculty members from various disciplines will participate in a symposium on “Information, Misinformation and Disinformation”

    • Tim Amidon, assistant professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
    • Benjamin Clegg, professor, Department of Psychology, College of Natural Sciences
    • Karen Dobos, associate professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
    • Rob Sica, Social Sciences and Humanities Liaison Librarian, Morgan Library

    As a university, a public establishment that promotes a universe of thoughts, we can come together to define the meaning of a ‘fact.’ Right and wrong are not always so easy to define, as people with different views may use words differently. We might consider how the misuse of words impacts the country and the world. —  explained Patrick Burns, vice president for information technology and dean of libraries for CSU

    WHAT: The topics the panel will address include

    1. What is your definition of a “fact” and how does it differ from a “belief”?
    2. How are opinions formed, verified and extended?
    3. How has being bombarded by way too much information affected our ability to separate fact from fiction?
    4. How do you perceive the First Amendment influencing this trend?
    5. What might we, as employees of a land grant university, do in the future to address this trend?

    “We expect the views expressed here will stimulate abundant, civilized discussions,” Burns said.

    The Information, Misinformation and Disinformation Symposium is presented by CSU Libraries.

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  • Action Day for Visibility: Indoor Burning Restrictions in Effect

    Action Day for Visibility: Indoor Burning Restrictions in Effect

    This is the Denver Metro Air Pollution Forecast effective 4PM on Tuesday, February 20, 2018:

    An Action Day for Visibility is now in effect for the seven-county Denver-Boulder metropolitan area. Indoor Burning Restrictions and requests to limit driving are now in effect until at least 4 PM Wednesday, February 21, 2018. Poor visibility and an exceedance of the state visibility standard are expected on Wednesday. Otherwise, good or moderate air quality conditions are expected. No other air quality advisories are in effect.

    Cold and calm overnight conditions will lead to Poor visibility on Wednesday.

    A poorly maintained vehicle pollutes more than a well maintained one. If you must drive, properly maintain your vehicle. We’ll all breathe easier!

    At 2PM (MST), Tuesday, 2/20/2018 the highest AQI value was 50 for Particulate less than 2.5 micrometers which indicates Good air quality.

    Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook

    FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
    Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 2:30 PM MST

    Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Good to Moderate range on Tuesday and Wednesday. Moderate concentrations of fine particulates are most likely for locations within the Denver Metro area on Tuesday. On Wednesday Moderate concentrations are expected in the Denver Metro area, as well as northward along the Front Range urban corridor into central and southern Weld County including Greeley. In these areas unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Carbon Monoxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Tuesday, and in the Good to Moderate range on Wednesday. Moderate concentrations of nitrogen dioxide are most likely for locations within the Denver Metro area near busy roadways, particularly between the hours of 6-10 AM on Wednesday morning. For health recommendations, please see Fine Particulate Matter above.

    Visibility on Wednesday is expected to be Poor.

  • Body Found in Saguache County

    Body Found in Saguache County

    (February 19, 2018—CBI—Pueblo, CO)—The Saguache County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are investigating a body discovered in the county on February 18, 2018.

    A hiker in the area of County Road 42 and County Road Z discovered a female body just after 10:00 a.m. and alerted authorities on Sunday morning. The investigation is ongoing to determine the identification of the deceased, as well as the circumstances surrounding the person’s death. Anyone with information is asked to call the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office at (719)655-2544.

    Early indications are this case does not appear to be connected with the Kristal Reisinger missing person case out of Saguache.

    Updates will be provided as they become available.

  • Denver International Airport Announces New Chief of Staff

    Denver International Airport Announces New Chief of Staff

    Cristal Torres DeHerrera Appointed as Chief of Staff for Denver International Airport

    DENVER — Denver International Airport (DEN) today announced the appointment of Cristal Torres DeHerrera as its chief of staff. As one of five executive vice president positions at the airport, DeHerrera will be responsible for managing the airport’s External Affairs business unit which includes overseeing the airport’s Executive Office and Government and Community Affairs, including the DEN Commerce Hub.

    In her role, DeHerrera will lead development of the airport’s strategies, policies and plans related to legislative and regulatory activities at the local, state and federal levels. DeHerrera will also be working closely with the airport executive team on a number of priority initiatives, including the public-private partnership to renovateDEN’s Great Hall with the Great Hall Partners, a team of local and international companies led by Ferrovial S.A.

    “After a thorough search, we are delighted to welcome Cristal Torres DeHerrera to the DEN team,” said airport CEO Kim Day. “Cristal’s strength in contract negotiation, good government, process improvement and community collaboration will benefit the airport. She is a thoughtful, intuitive and collaborative leader who will be a positive addition to our executive team.”

    “Cristal will be a phenomenal addition to the airport team,” Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “During her four years as deputy city attorney, she has grown to become a trusted advisor to my administration, a strong collaborator with our regional partners and a dedicated listener to our community, and she will remain a close and steadfast advisor. I am so pleased she will be staying with the city team and helping to lead the airport into its next great era.”

    “DEN is the Rocky Mountain Region’s No. 1 economic driver and a $1 billion operation. I’m thrilled to join Kim and the DEN team to continue making DEN America’s favorite airport, where the Rocky Mountains meet the world,” said DeHerrera. 

    DeHerrera, who will begin her new position at the airport on April 2, currently serves as the deputy city attorney for the City and County of Denver, a position she has held since 2014. As the No. 2 attorney for the city, she manages the day-to-day operations of more than 200 attorneys and staff in one of the largest public law offices in the western United States. DeHerrera is an advisor to the mayor and the city on a wide range of legal and policy issues and serves as the city’s lead negotiator for many of the city’s largest contracts.

    “Cristal has been a valued leader in the City Attorney’s Office,” said Kristin Bronson, city attorney. “While we are disappointed to see her go, I know the airport will be well served by her skills and she will remain an important asset to the city.”

    DeHerrera’s accomplishments include leading the development of the governance structure for the National Western Center. Specifically, she worked to ensure the governance structure fostered ongoing partnership, collaboration and engagement with the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods and that the National Western Center directly benefits the surrounding neighborhoods and residents for the foreseeable future.

    “Cristal envisioned and led the creation of a new public authority to govern and manage the new National Western Center campus, unlike any authority previously created in Denver,” said Gretchen Hollrah, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center. “Under Cristal’s leadership, the NWC Authority has been structured to honor the community in which it resides, to be a responsible steward of new public buildings and to deliver year-round activity for the people of Denver.”

    DeHerrera also led Mayor Hancock’s efforts to partner with the Denver City Council on the Public Safety Priority Enforcement Act which promoted public safety through community trust and limited Denver’s role in federal immigration enforcement. DeHerrera is currently leading the development of Denver’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund.

    “It’s critical that we have the leadership and experience necessary to support DEN as it continues to create global connectivity and local economic opportunity,” said Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez. “Over the years, I’ve worked closely with Cristal to restore public faith in government. I have great confidence in her ability to collaborate with the thousands who make DEN a world-class airport.”

    Prior to her position with the city, Cristal was a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where her practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, public and private securities offerings, capital formation and securities advice.

    DeHerrera holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and her undergraduate degree, with honors, in political studies from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association recently honored DeHerrera with the Christopher A. Miranda Outstanding Hispanic Lawyer Award. In 2016, she received the Denver Bar Association’s Richard Marden Davis Award for leadership in Denver’s civic, cultural, educational and charitable activities. She was recognized in 2015 by the Colorado Women’s Bar Association and was honored with the Raising the Bar Award, Women to Watch: 5 Female Attorneys Who Will Make an Impact over the Next 10 Years. In 2014, she received the Denver Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award.

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  • Gardner Issues Statement on Immigration

    Gardner Issues Statement on Immigration

    Washington, DC – Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the below statement following his votes to advance immigration reform:

    Our immigration system is broken and that’s why I voted for solutions. President Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to address the Dreamer population and increase border security and the proposals I supported today would have done exactly that. I’m dissapointed we were not able to find a solution this week but that does not mean our work is over. I’ll continue to work with Senator Bennet and my other colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a solution that can pass the Senate, the House, and ultimately be signed by the President. — Gardner

     

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  • President’s Day 2018 — Monday, February 19

    President’s Day 2018 — Monday, February 19

    DID YOU KNOW??

    Many get to enjoy a long weekend thanks to George Washington! Presidents’ Day arrives every third Monday in February and is a federal holiday, which means most government offices, post offices and banks are closed. The holiday, which falls on Monday, Feb. 19 this year, was initially established to honor George Washington. The federal government still refers to the day as it was originally designated by law, calling it Washington’s Birthday. President Washington was born on February 22, 1732, but the holiday can occur between February 15 through February 21.

    A TIME HONORED TRADITION

    A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legendary chopping down of a cherry tree in Washington‘s youth.

    ANNUAL OBSERVANCES

    Corporate businesses generally used to be closed on this day. However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales other promotions. Federal and State government services close (U.S. Postal Service, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts). Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts close for an entire week as a “mid-winter recess.”

    OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS 

    The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington’s image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle.

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  • Consumer Products — the dominant source of air pollution? New study reports

    Consumer Products — the dominant source of air pollution? New study reports

    Chemical products that contain compounds refined from petroleum, like household cleaners, pesticides, paints and perfumes, now rival motor vehicle emissions as the top source of urban air pollution, according to a surprising NOAA-led study by researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and other institutions.

    A smoggy view of Los Angeles in 2010. Scientists captured this image from a research aircraft that was part of an intense mission, CALNEX, to study the region’s air quality and climate-related challenges. Photo: Raul Alvarez, NOAA.

    People use a lot more fuel than they do petroleum-based compounds in chemical products—about 15 times more by weight, according to the new assessment. Even so, lotions, paints and other products contribute about as much to air pollution as the transportation sector does, said lead author Brian McDonald, a scientist at the CU Boulder-based Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) working in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chemical Sciences Division.

    In the case of one type of pollution—tiny particles that can damage people’s lungs—particle-forming emissions from chemical products are about twice as high as those from the transportation sector, his team found. McDonald and colleagues from NOAA and several other institutions reported their results today in the journal Science.

    As transportation gets cleaner, those other sources become more and more important. The stuff we use in our everyday lives can impact air pollution. — McDonald

    For the new assessment, the scientists focused on volatile organic compounds or VOCs. VOCs can waft into the atmosphere and react to produce either ozone or particulate matter—both of which are regulated in the United States and many other countries because of health impacts, including lung damage.

    Those of us living in cities and suburbs assume that much of the pollution we breathe comes from car and truck emissions or leaky gas pumps. That’s for good reason: it was clearly true in past decades. But regulators and car manufacturers made pollution-limiting changes to engines, fuels and pollution control systems. So McDonald and his colleagues reassessed air pollution sources by sorting through recent chemical production statistics compiled by industries and regulatory agencies, by making detailed atmospheric chemistry measurements in Los Angeles air, and by evaluating indoor air quality measurements made by others.

    The scientists concluded that in the United States, the amount of VOCs emitted by consumer and industrial products is actually two or three times greater than estimated by current air pollution inventories, which also overestimate vehicular sources. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 75 percent of fossil VOC emissions (by weight) come from fuel-related sources, and about 25 percent from chemical products. The new study, with its detailed assessment of up-to-date chemical use statistics and previously unavailable atmospheric data, puts the split closer to 50-50.

    The disproportionate air quality impact of chemical product emissions is partly because of a fundamental difference between those products and fuels, said NOAA atmospheric scientist Jessica Gilman, a co-author of the new paper.

    Gasoline is stored in closed, hopefully airtight, containers and the VOCs in gasoline are burned for energy. But volatile chemical products used in common solvents and personal care products are literally designed to evaporate. You wear perfume or use scented products so that you or your neighbor can enjoy the aroma. You don’t do this with gasoline. — Gilman

    The team was particularly interested in how those VOCs end up contributing to particulate pollution. A comprehensive assessment published in the British medical journal Lancet last year put air pollution in a top-five list of global mortality threats, with “ambient particulate matter pollution” as the largest air pollution risk.

    The new study finds that as cars have gotten cleaner, the VOCs forming those pollution particles are coming increasingly from consumer products.

    We’ve reached that transition point already in Los Angeles. — McDonald

    He and his colleagues found that they simply could not reproduce the levels of particles or ozone measured in the atmosphere unless they included emissions from volatile chemical products. In the course of that work, they also determined that people are exposed to very high concentrations of volatile compounds indoors, which are more concentrated inside than out, said co-author Allen Goldstein, from the University of California Berkeley.

    Indoor concentrations are often 10 times higher indoors than outdoors, and that’s consistent with a scenario in which petroleum-based products used indoors provide a significant source to outdoor air in urban environments.”

    The new assessment does find that the U.S. regulatory focus on car emissions has been very effective, said co-author Joost de Gouw, a CIRES chemist.

    It’s worked so well that to make further progress on air quality, regulatory efforts would need to become more diverse. It’s not just vehicles anymore. — de Gouw

    CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and the University of Colorado Boulder.

     

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  • Proposed Bill Could Help Improve Insurance Coverage Options

    Proposed Bill Could Help Improve Insurance Coverage Options

    DENVER – Coloradans confronting a narrowing number of increasingly expensive health insurance options could soon have one new option available to them, if a bill making its way through the Colorado Statehouse continues to progress.  

    Senate Bill-132, authored by Parker Republican Jim Smallwood, requires the state’s Insurance Commissioner to seek a waiver from federal Obamacare rules that restrict the sale of so-called catastrophic care plans, which could soon allow every Coloradan to purchase such plans through the state’s Obamacare exchange. Smallwood’s bill passed its first legislative test Thursday, winning unanimous bipartisan approval of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. 

    These plans may save consumers as much as 30 percent in their medical premiums while still complying with almost all of the significant Obamacare protections, such as limits on out of pockets costs, coverage for essential health benefits and assurances that pre-existing conditions aren’t excluded. Although catastrophic plans may not be the right choice for every Coloradan, Smallwood told the committee that they could have appeal to those Coloradans who aren’t rich enough to absorb high costs, and not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or Obamacare subsidies.

    Those being squeezed hardest by the rising cost of care aren’t lower income people covered by Medicaid, or older individuals who get Medicare, but those in the economic middle who aren’t wealthy but still make too much money to qualify for subsidies. It’s for these caught-in-the-middle Coloradans, who are willing to pay lower premiums for coverage that isn’t quite as rich but still can stave-off enormous bills resulting from major medical costs, that this bill is written. — Smallwood

    Applying for a federal Obamacare waiver won’t guarantee we’ll get one. But the sooner we try, the sooner we can help provide one more option for those who want coverage but aren’t well served by the current market, said Smallwood.  

    SB-132 passed on a unanimous 5 to 0 vote and now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for action.

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