Family ‘Medical Home’ Offers Local Oversight for Pediatric Care

WESTERN SAN JUANS – In an effort to “improve pediatric practice by establishing best practices and evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidelines,” the State of Colorado is now working to establish “Certified Medical Homes” in rural areas, for when a visit to the doctor is not always possible.

“Medical Homes offer a system of care that develops coordinated care between diagnostics, treatment and follow-up,” a system that is “particularly important to children and their families in Ouray, San Miguel and West Montrose Counties, because most specialty medical services require a referral to physicians in Montrose and Grand Junction,” says trainer Kevin Heckman; Heckman and Anita Rich from the Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program led area providers and administrators in a training program featuring 11 Medical Home Standards targeting pediatric patients and their families.

Participating clinics in the three-county region include Ouray Family Practice; Ridgway Mountain Medical Center; Telluride Medical Center and the Basin Clinic, in Naturita.

Families will soon have 24/7 access to state-certified administrators offering oversight of patients’ medical plans; information about the availability of information about insurance and enrollment options; transportation to regional medical and dental appointments; and age-appropriate preventive care, screening and guidance.

Participating clinics in the three-county region include Ouray Family Practice; Ridgway Mountain Medical Center; Telluride Medical Center and the Basin Clinic, in Naturita.

The Certified Medical Home is one of several initiatives making up the Local Health Initiative, a program of the Telluride Foundation pursuing the advancement of a system of coordinated medical and dental services in Ouray, San Miguel and Montrose counties.

According to Gary Steinbach, Local Health Initiative administrator, “clinics participating in becoming a Certified Family Medical Home improve pediatric practice by establishing best practices and evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidelines. For more information, contact  Jill Burchmore, Program Manager, at Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families; 135 S. Spruce Street; P.O. Box 4216; Telluride, Colo. 81435 970/728-5613 or 877-728-5613 toll free; fax, 970-369-7725; www.brightfuturesforchildren.org

Mosaic Community Project Announces BIG IDEAS Grant Winner

RIDGWAY – With today’s pressing need for renewable energy education, Ridgway High School teacher Matt Wade and a group of students had an idea: Why not study it in a hands-on, innovative way?

The students are working with Ouray County’s Mosaic Community Project, formed to complement public schools’ programs by establishing earth-friendly initiatives and awareness campaigns, and with the Telluride Foundation. Called the Big Ideas Project, the solar installation, with a budget of $1,000, will facilitate the study of solar energy through a hands-on application leading to the installation of a 10-watt solar panel on the school that generates enough energy to power an iPod Listening Station in the student lounge. San Miguel Power Association’s Hart Gleason and Alternative Power Enterprises’s Leif Juell and Walter Wright are working on the project, as well, which will expose students to career opportunities in the regional renewable energy field. Joining the enterprise are Ridgway educators Ty Helgenberger, Adam Johnson and Jill Markey, and Walter Wright and Colleen Trout of the Telluride New Community Coalition.

The Mosaic Community Project has grant money available for more “Big Ideas.” For more information, visit www.mosaiccp.org and download an application, or email mosaic.community.project@gmail.com. Applicants may apply for up to $500.

MCP is a non-profit organization whose mission statement is to operate with dedication to promoting education, the visual and performing arts, sustainable living practices and environmental awareness in Ouray County, Colorado.

Mountain Munchkins Preschool Has 14 Openings

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE – Mountain Munchkins, an early childcare preschool, opens its preschool doors this week. The preschool’s grand opening will be held scheduled for Friday, October 16 at 10 a.m. at Mountain Munchkins; local program supporters and Munchkin parents are welcomed. The Town of Mountain Village is gives the Munchkins’ infant and toddler program an ongoing subsidy of approximately $170,000; the preschool program is anticipated to be self-sustaining.

“Last year, approximately 90 babies were born in Telluride and Mountain Village,” said Mountain Munchkins Director Kathleen Merritt. “According to the results from a 2008 economic impact of child care survey conducted by BBC Research & Consulting, without childcare, 26 percent of all workers surveyed said they would exit the workforce and 30 percent of households admitted they would move out of the county.”

“With this preschool program, we hope to keep working families in our community by offering an additional high quality preschool option.” 

For more information, call Merritt at 970/369-6428.

Golden Door Spa Draws Top Reviews

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE –The Golden Door Spa at The Peaks Resort has been named among the Top 10 best spas in the world by SpaFinder, Inc., that global spa resource announced, in the Best for Winter Sports category in its seventh annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Based on votes submitted by readers of SpaFinder publications, the awards represent the most comprehensive consumer assessment of the global spa market available today, with more than 360,000 votes cast for favorite spas, across 27 categories, by continent, country and region.

“This recognition speaks volumes to the dedication of our staff to ensure our continued service and experience is beyond expectation,” said Kristi Dickinson, spa director. “The recent completion of more than $3 million in renovations certainly played a part in this acknowledgment of our exceptional facility.”

The 42,000 square-foot Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa is home to the on-site Golden Door Spa, featuring 32 treatment rooms and a variety of Signature Golden Door Spa treatments; a full service salon, fully-equipped fitness center including Pilates and yoga studios, certified fitness instructors providing a variety of private and group classes, three-lane lap pool with Telluride's only indoor water slide, indoor climbing wall, gender specific steam rooms, saunas and Roman tubs, and indoor-outdoor heated pool and hot tubs. For more information, visit www.thepeaksresort.com