News and Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 19, 2012
Contact: Ginny Dyche, Community Relations, 544-1296
Subject: Program Certification

AVH Pulmonary Rehab Program Receives Certification

Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) is proud to announce the certification of its pulmonary rehabilitation program by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). The cardiovascular component of the program was certified in 2010.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with conditions such as heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Both programs include monitored exercise, education, counseling, and support for patients and their families.

Led by registered nurse Melody Durham and exercise physiologist Julie Puchkoff, AVH's pulmonary rehab program participated in a lengthy application process which required extensive documentation of the program's practices and impact on various patient behavioral indicators and clinical outcomes. The ultimate goal is to improve patients' quality of life, physical function, and symptoms of breathlessness.

The peer-reviewed accreditation process evaluates adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the AACVPR and other professional societies. The AVH program consistently receives high marks from patients on satisfaction surveys.

Dave Ressler, AVH Chief Executive Officer, noted that certified AACVPR programs are recognized as leaders in the field of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation because they offer the most advanced practices available. "We have a very successful program thanks to Melody, Julie, and a group of patients who work hard to improve their health status," he said. "We're pleased to receive outside validation of their good work."

Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals Named
Aspen Valley Hospital on the list

Two Colorado hospitals were named to the Top 100 list of Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in America by the National Rural Health Association. The Top 100 scored highest on the Hospital Strength Index in a comprehensive rating of CAHs. There are more than 1,300 CAHs in the nation and 29 in Colorado.

The Hospital Strength Index offers hospital executives and boards of directors an objective way to measure their relative performance among their peers and across 56 different performance metrics.

According to the National Rural Health Association, the Hospital Strength Index reflects the multiple challenges of running a hospital by evaluating various industry standards across a continuum of financial, value-based, and market-driven benchmarks. Value-based strength and financial strength are key pillars for success under healthcare reform.

The market strength component includes competitive strength, competitive intensity, size, and growth factors essential to the development of an accountable care organization. Value-based strength includes quality, outcomes, patient perspectives, and cost and charge indicators that are essential for earning rewards under Medicare’s value-based reimbursement incentives. The financial strength indicator includes income statement and balance sheet ratios that are most predictive of long-term sustainability and are essential in an environment of reduced payments.

A strong hospital has:

• Dominant market share with growing demand
• Less direct competition in the local market
• Outstanding quality and safety programs
• Loyal, satisfied patients
• Efficient and appropriately priced services
• Strong balance sheet with surplus capital

Dave Ressler, AVH Chief Executive Officer, explained that the ability to compare AVH to other CAHs is useful. “Our challenges as a small hospital are very different from a larger hospital, but equally as complex,” he noted. “This gives us one more ‘gauge’ to consider as we self-evaluate our services and performance.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 17, 2011
Contact: Ginny Dyche, 544-1296

Low-Dose CT Scanner Installed at AVH
Precise imaging for better diagnosis, reduced dose for better patient care

CT (computerized tomography) scanning is one of medicine's most valuable tools. It provides diagnostic information not available from any other imaging modality, and it does so without invasive tests or surgery. But, all CT scans involve radiation, and this is a concern for both healthcare professionals and patients.

That's why Bart Outzen, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH), spent the last year evaluating new CT technology, looking for the scanner that would deliver the lowest possible dose of radiation. "Typically, lowering the dose increases image artifacts, creating an unfortunate trade-off between the highest possible image quality and the lowest possible dose," explained Outzen.

Outzen discovered, however, that GE had recently developed a high definition approach that both increases the clarity of images and also significantly lowers a patient’s radiation exposure. With a price tag of $1.4 million, the new GE Discovery Gemstone was installed at AVH in late September/early October and is now up and running.

GE uses a process called Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR) to overcome the limitations of the conventional CT. ASIR works by making better and more efficient use of the CT scan data that comes out of a patient’s body. By using this data more effectively, the GE Discovery is capable of dramatically lowering radiation exposure (up to 50%) with no loss of diagnostic imaging quality.

Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) physicians have used CT scanning as a diagnostic tool for many years, and the hospital has upgraded its scanner in the past as new technology became available. This CT scanner – with an emphasis on high definition imaging and radiation reduction – perhaps represents the most significant diagnostic breakthrough.

"It's many times faster than other available CT scans," noted Outzen. "And, if you've seen the difference between a standard television picture and one that's in high definition, you know the quality is worlds apart."

In picturing the finest anatomic details, the new CT supports more certain decisions and an accelerated path to diagnosis and treatment. CT scanning at AVH is used to diagnose conditions of the head, heart, abdomen, blood vessels, chest, musculoskeletal system, and cancer or other tumors.

AVH is currently in the midst of physical plant improvements with a multi-year master facilities plan, but hospital CEO Dave Ressler notes that it takes more than bricks and mortar for a quality hospital. "It's a combination of people, technology, and physical environment," he said. "We are dedicating a lot of resources to improving our building, but, at the same time, we are committed to providing patients with state-of-the-art imaging in the safest possible manner. This CT is the best of both worlds – the lowest radiation with the highest quality images."

CT scanning is performed when a patient lies on the CT table and is then guided into the center of the scanner through a gantry (a doughnut-shaped hole). The X-ray tubes then revolve around the patient and take pictures from many angles, forming detailed, cross-sectional images or slices of all types of tissue. These images are then sent to a computer for processing.

In some instances, patients are given oral or IV "contrast" to enable better visualization of specific parts of the body. The actual CT exam takes only a matter of minutes, depending on the area being scanned. After the exam, a radiologist interprets the results and sends a detailed report to the referring physician, who then discusses the results with the patient.

AVH radiologists are all members of a larger group, Radiology Imaging Associates, located in Englewood, Colorado. A radiologist on site interprets most results, but electronic transmissions enable radiology subspecialists to do timely reviews of breast, neurologic, cardiac, and other images.