Health District to acquire N. College land for clinic

FORT COLLINS – The Poudre Health Services District soon will help fund two new health facilities in this city.The first, a facility providing dental care and other health-care needs for the low income, will be built at North College Avenue and Bristlecone Drive, next to the Northside Health Center being built by Poudre Valley Hospital.
The district formerly operated the hospital but now leases the hospital real estate to Poudre Valley Health Care Inc., which in turn operates Poudre Valley Hospital.
The district’s new clinic will cost an estimated $1 million to build and will encompass about 10,000 square feet.
Elsewhere, the district and the hospital have signed a lease at 2925 S. College Ave. for a medical library and health-screening forum, in a facility dubbed the “Wellness Center.”
The district provides a variety of health-care services to the public, while Poudre Valley Health Care operates such facilities as Poudre Valley Hospital, The Children’s Clinic and Poudre Care Connection Inc., a home health-care agency.Regional breast-care center opens
GREELEY – The Regional Breast Care Center of Northern Colorado opened last month on the second floor of the Medical Arts Building, 1800 15th St. here.
The center will join the local medical community with University of Northern Colorado research efforts. Dr. Susan Carter, a Greeley gynecologist, will be the director of the center.
The center has a stereotactic machine that simplifies the biopsy process for breast tissue. The center also plans to shorten the time from screening to diagnosis to 72 hours, something that often takes up to three weeks.
The Research Corp. at UNC contributed a $15,000 grant to the center to develop a database for breast health care in Northern Colorado. It may include parts of Wyoming and Nebraska in the future.
The phone number is (970) 392-1707.HMO plans health-industry forum
CHEYENNE – WINhealth Partners, Cheyenne’s locally owned health-maintenance organization, will conduct a forum Nov. 18 on the state’s health-care market.
“Wyoming’s Evolving Healthcare Market” will be conducted from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Little America Hotel & Resort at Interstate 25 and the Lincolnway exit.
Panelists include Dr. Paul Ellwood of Jackson, Wyo., speaking on Wyoming’s evolving health-care market; Dr. Richard Torkelson, chairman of the WINhealth Partners board of directors, on why Cheyenne’s medical community decided to form an HMO; Andy Tolsma, manager of workers’ compensation for Sinclair Oil Corp., on the possibilities for successful group management and outcomes within the state; and Fred Schroeder, CEO of the Converse County Memorial Hospital in Douglas, Wyo., on the integration of medical communities throughout Wyoming.
RSVP by Nov. 11 to (307) 633-7357.FHP names new executives
The Colorado region of FHP Health Care has promoted James Swayze to vice president for commercial sales and marketing for the Colorado region. Swayze formerly served as director of sales and service.
In his new position, Swayze will set and manage the strategic direction of all sales and service activities for FHP’s Colorado accounts totaling 330,000 state residents, dental accounts and group Medicare accounts.
Additionally, FHP has named Robert Ruiz-Moss vice president of finance for the Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Nevada and New Mexico markets.
FHP remains in the midst of regulatory review of its proposed takeover by PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. of Cypress, Calif. The acquisition is expected to be completed by early 1997.Fido’s emergency room awaits
FORT COLLINS – For people, there’s the Poudre Valley Hospital emergency room. Now, pets also have a place to take care of their medical emergencies.
Animal Emergency Services, opened in Fort Collins earlier this year at 2005 S. College Ave. Specifically set up for after-hours emergencies, the clinic is open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, plus all day on weekends and holidays.
The clinic is owned by Randy Willer, a graduate of Colorado State University, and partners Sam Romano and Mitch Zale. CSU also has an all-night clinic. The phone number is (970) 407-1905.HMOs criticized
Major employers such as General Mills, Honeywell, Pillsbury, American Express and Dayton Hudson Corp. are criticizing health-maintenance organizations for stifling competition and medical innovation.
These companies once embraced HMOs as a way to cut medical costs and helped them gain dominance in the health industry. Now, though, the employers next year will begin purchasing medical services for their employees directly from organized groups of doctors, hospitals and clinics.
The move mirrors a nationwide backlash against managed-care plans.Workers comp workshop planned
DENVER – The Colorado Compensation Insurance Authority is sponsoring its sixth annual Workers Comp Workshop Nov. 14 at the Red Lion Hotel in Denver.
The theme of the workshop is “A Whole New Way of Looking at Workers’ Comp.” Courses will include “Anatomy of a Claim,” an in-depth look at the claims process to see where the process is handled well and where claims can add unnecessary cost.
Other courses include the “Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and Workers’ Compensation” and others.
Ward Lucas of KUSA Channel 9 in Denver will headline the event.The courses will be conducted by Denver-area physicians, attorneys, and representatives from CCIA.
Registration for the eye-opener, a workshop titled “The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It,” is from 6:45 to 7:15 a.m.
Those skipping the workshop can register from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. The workshop will end at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $100 for policyholders, $125 for nonpolicyholders. Deadline to register is Nov. 8.
For more information, contact CCIA at (303) 782-4352.
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