Briefcase December 14, 2012

DEADLINES

The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the fifth annual Young Professional of the Year award. This award focuses on the contributions that young professionals make to the local community through volunteerism and community activities, strides they are making to better themselves via professional development activities and their professional accomplishments. Nomination forms are available by contacting the chamber at 970-482-3746 and on its website at www.fortcollinschamber.com. Nomination forms are due no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 7.

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Exploring & expressing grief

Support groups and events, as well as creative therapies and professional counseling, are all ways in which Pathways supports individuals dealing with grief and loss.

A Colorado State University team received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to produce a biological control system for bioenergy crops. June Medford and Mauricio Antunes, both professors in the Biology department, and Ashok Prasad, a professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering, received the grant from Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the DOE’s advanced research division. Their work was chosen from more than 4,000 submissions and is viewed as transformational to the field of bioenergy. The work will develop technology that allows rapid and precise improvement of bioenergy crops.

Poudre Fire Authority was awarded a $7,575 grant by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in November. The grant is part of a nation-wide philanthropic program funded by the insurance company and designed to provide needed equipment, training and educational tools to local fire departments and burn prevention organizations. Poudre Fire Authority will use the grant to purchase new communications equipment, specifically handheld radios. Brown & Brown, an insurance agency based in Fort Collins, was instrumental in securing the grant funds, partnering with Fireman’s Fund employees to nominate the fire department after the High Park Fire.

VetDC Inc., a CSU biotech startup working to develop cancer drugs for pets, announced it has raised $1.5 million in private financing. The money will be used to pursue Federal Drug Administration approval of the company’s VDC-1101 agent in treating canine lymphoma. VDC-1101 has demonstrated substantial anti-tumor activity, and is anticipated to be one of the first FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of canine lymphoma.

Springs Fabrication and Czero, a Fort Collins-based mechanical engineering R&D firm, won a research project with the U.S. Department of Energy Renewable Energy Laboratory SunShot program. The goal of the project was to increase energy storage for solar power concentration. Czero will design a test rig to evaluate thermal-energy storage components for higher-temperature molten salt systems, and Springs Fabrication will then build the test system for NREL. This technology represents a step in making power plants powered by solar energy more competitive with those powered by fossil fuels.

The Poudre School District Foundation Funds announced grant recipients in November for the 2012 Supporting Partnerships in Innovative Education grants from the innovative programs fund. The 14 recipients – representing elementary, middle and high schools within the district – received more than $36,000 collectively from the SPIE program. The funding will impact PSD students through classroom initiatives ranging from math, science and technology to collaborative programs for literacy and the arts.

CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability has been recognized by Best Colleges Online among the 15 top universities in the nation fighting world hunger. SoGES serves CSU by connecting campus expertise for research in soil sustainability, disease-resistant crops, energy, waste, livestock and more with necessary nutrition without violating human rights or the environment. The listing recognizes SoGES as a leader in food security research and its eco-friendly approach to worldwide hunger.

CSU announced that it will receive Phase II funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that enables individuals worldwide to test ideas to address health and development challenges. Elizabeth Ryan, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will use the $1 million to continue to study rice bran’s ability to fight off multiple gut pathogens such as salmonella and rotovirus that contribute to significant morbidity and mortality of children around the world.

Mobility & More, a durable medical equipment company in Loveland, has been awarded a gold-sealed accreditation by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. The recognition demonstrates compliance with national standards and a dedication to quality in business and patient care.

NEW LOCATION

University of Colorado Health’s Greeley Emergency and Surgery Center, located at 71st Avenue and 10th Street, opened its doors Nov. 26. It was designed to reduce wait times while increasing convenience for Weld County residents. With an estimated cost of $14.5 million, the 22,000-square-foot facility is divided into three main areas, includes 10 private exam rooms, two kid-friendly exam rooms, a resuscitation room, a laboratory and a covered ambulance bay. The center is staffed by board-certified emergency room physicians from Emergency Physicians of the Rockies.

NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Beginning January, patients at McKee Medical Center in Loveland will be offered aromatherapy during their hospital visit. Aromatherapy uses essential oils for symptom relief associated with pain, stress, anxiety, sleep aid and nausea. McKee Wellness, recognizing the growing success of complementary therapies in medicine, will train nurses in aromatherapy at McKee. McKee Volunteer Services provided funding to make the program possible.

The Argus Institute at CSU’s Veterinarian Teaching Hospital will now be offering a course in managing stress and workplace difficulties for veterinarians. The class will be organized as a round table discussion, and will be based on curriculum designed by Dr. Rachel Remen. The course is offered at more than 80 medical schools around the country.

Patients at the University of Colorado Hospital will now have access to Whipple surgery. This minimally invasive surgery, named after the surgeon Allen Whipple, is used to remove the head of the pancreas, surrounding duodenum and end of the bile duct, entirely laproscopically. It is thought that this approach lessens the risk of postoperative wound infections, reduces pain and allows for a faster recovery. Dr. Barish Edil, director of pancreatic surgery, and Dr. Richard Schulick, chair of surgery, performed the operation for the first time on Oct. 22.

Pediatric Associates of Northern Colorado announced a new monthly GI outreach clinic in their office, every fourth Thursday of the month. Dr. Jeff Rosensweig, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Rocky Mountain Children’s Hospital, will offer his services to children experiencing GI-related symptoms at the PANC office at 1330 Oakridge Drive #100.

If you have an item to share about name changes, new products or business news of note, e-mail it to Maggie Shafer at mshafer@ncbr.com, or mail it to Briefcase at NCBR, 155O E. Harmony Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525.