News Archive

Health District to Cancel May 4 Board Election (March 2010): With only three qualified candidates to fill three open seats, the Health District of Northern Larimer County will cancel its May 4 board of directors election.

The Health District board will need to cancel the election officially as called for by state law. It will have an opportunity to do so at its next meeting March 12.

Three people filed for candidacy by the state-mandated deadline of Feb. 26. Another individual filed the required paperwork after the deadline and was disqualified.

The three candidates, who automatically will begin new terms on the board in May, include two incumbents and one newcomer:

-- Joe Hendrickson, 62, of Fort Collins, is the current president of the Health District board of directors. He is an instructor at the University of Northern Colorado and a former assistant superintendent with Poudre School District. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in December 2003. He subsequently was elected to fill the remaining two years of the term in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008.

-- Celeste Kling, 52, of Fort Collins, is a local attorney, mediator, children's advocate and adjunct faculty member at Colorado State University. She was elected to the Health District board in 2006.

-- Tim O'Neill, 57, of Fort Collins, is executive director of Foothills Gateway, a Fort Collins agency whose mission is to empower and support individuals with cognitive disabilities and their families. He will fill a vacancy left by the impending departure of board member Lee Thielen, who is term-limited.

All three will be sworn in for four-year terms in May.

The Health District is a public agency that provides dental, mental health, prescription assistance and health promotion services to the residents of northern Larimer County. It is governed by a five-person board of directors whose members are publicly elected at large from the community in elections held every two years. For more information, visit http://www.healthdistrict.org.
Health Department Opens Nominations for 2010 Joseph Jabaily Public Health Hero Award (March 2010): The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment is taking nominations for the fifth Joseph Jabaily Public Health Hero Award. The Jabaily award was created by the Larimer County Board of Health in honor and in memory of Dr. Joseph Jabaily, a Loveland neurologist, community activist, volunteer and member of many boards in the county who died tragically after an accident in a charity bicycle race in summer 2004.

The award honors an individual or group who has contributed in an extraordinary way to public health or has made an outstanding contribution to public health over time. Nominations must be submitted in writing, either online or on a PDF file from the award website at www.larimer.org/boards/public_health_hero.cfm. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on March 19.

Individual criteria for nominees are:

-- Nominees must either live or work in Larimer County.
-- Nominee does not need to be a public health professional (could be a judge, a volunteer, a teacher, etc).
-- Nominations can be either for an individual or a team effort.
-- Nominee cannot be a current employee of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment or a current Board of Health member.

At the time of his death, Jabaily was running on an unaffiliated ticket for the Colorado state legislature, hoping to improve public health, healthcare and education problems in Colorado.

Former recipients of the award are environmental scientist Frank Vertucci, Ph.D., 2006; local obstetrican/gynecologist Larry Kieft, M.D., 2007; Jane Higgins, M.D., physician at CSU's Hartshorn Health Service, 2008; and Lupe Harbison, local health educator and promotora, 2009.

"We still miss Joe's presence and commitment to public health," said Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, director of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment.

"This award helps honor that same selfless spirit in others."

For more information, visit www.larimer.org. Or call (970) 498-6700.
Poudre Valley Health System CEO Launches 'Visionary Healthcare' Blog (March 2010): Rulon Stacey, the president and CEO of Poudre Valley Health System, launched his blog this month.

The blog, "Visionary Healthcare," is online at visionary.pvhs.org. In his first post, Stacey said he hopes the blog will spur a "visionary discussion about healthcare."

"As president and CEO of PVHS, I think it's important to offer thoughts and opinions on healthcare, healthcare reform, and what it means to our country in general and northern Colorado specifically," Stacey wrote.

"I also want to increase your knowledge of what we are doing as an organization to meet the needs of our patients in this changing environment. As one of the nation's top healthcare organizations, PVHS has many beneficial insights and practices that can help move the U.S. healthcare industry ahead in a positive manner that benefits all Americans."

In another post Monday, Stacey touched on Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's attempt to reform healthcare in the state and a PVHS campaign to ensure information systems remain state-of-the-art and give healthcare providers 24/7 access to clinical information for their patients.
Neurology Associates of Northern Colorado Joins PVHS (March 2010): Neurology Associates of Northern Colorado has joined Poudre Valley Health System.

Neurology Associates of Northern Colorado's highly trained and experienced physicians -- Drs. Gerald C. McIntosh, Sheri Friedman and Paramjit Kaur -- specialize in epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neurorehabilitation.

The clinic offers the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology for disorders of the nervous system, including electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG) and access to clinical trials for patients with epilepsy.

Dr. McIntosh specializes in disabling neurological diseases and movement disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, essential tremors and neurorehabilitation. Board certified in neurology since 1981, he is the medical director of the LifeSkills Rehabilitation Center and the Regional Neurosciences Center at Poudre Valley Hospital, as well as the Center for Neurorehabilitation Services and Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University.

Dr. Friedman specializes in epilepsy and is the only board-certified epileptologist in Northern Colorado. Board certified in neurology, she oversees clinical trials for epilepsy patients in Fort Collins and can also connect patients with clinical trials nationwide. Dr. Friedman has also been board certified in electroencephalography (EEG) since 2005.

Dr. Kaur specializes in neuromuscular disorders including back pain, neck pain, weakness and nerve and muscle diseases such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), peripheral neuropathy and myasthenia gravis. Contact information Neurology Associates of Northern Colorado will remain at 1221 E. Elizabeth St., Suite 3; the clinic's phone number will remain (970) 482-4373. Visit the clinic online at www.clinics.pvhs.org.
March Is National Nutrition Month (March 2010): Every day is a good day to focus on healthy nutrition, especially during National Nutrition Month.

For tips on healthy eating, explore the following resources offered by HealthInfoSource, the Health District of Northern Larimer County and the American Dietetic Association:

-- National Nutrition Month
-- Nutrition topic, HealthInfoSource
-- Nutrition services, Health District

For local events and activities related to nutrition, including classes offered by the Health District, Poudre Valley Health System and Larimer County Health Department, search the HealthInfoSource calendar here.