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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aspen Valley Hospital, the Given Institute of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the Aspen Given Foundation are joining forces to present important topics on graceful aging to the community. The program kicks off on Thursday, February 7, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Gordon Gerson, MD, cardiologist, and Barry Mink, MD, internist, will present "Medical and Personal Observations on Aging." Dr. Gerson will discuss common heart conditions, diagnosis and treatment options, and how to reduce modifiable risk factors associated with heart disease. Dr. Mink will share his perspective on aging -- both from personal experience and from observing healthy and unhealthy adaptations to the aging process in his private medical practice. On Thursday, February 14, also from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Gary Weiss, MD, neurologist, will discuss memory. Called "When Memory Fails," Dr. Weiss will address how memory works, different types of memory, and how to differentiate between normal memory loss and serious memory problems. He will help participants learn to protect their memory, and discuss diagnostic methods and the latest treatments for Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The final lecture takes place Thursday, February 21, again from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. W. Jason Martin, MD, plastic surgeon, will present "Plastic Surgery: Is It Right for You?" Dr. Martin will share information about common procedures, new techniques, and the decision-making process when considering plastic surgery. All programs are free and open to the public. There is no advance sign-up required. The lectures take place at the Given Institute at 100 East Francis Street in Aspen. Call 544-1296 for more information. AVH's New MRI is Open Bore Offers Patient Comfort and Quality Images Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) has installed an Open Bore, 1.5 Tesla, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system that combines a larger bore, or opening, with the ability to capture high-field quality diagnostic images. Patients who are claustrophobic or too large to fit inside the bore of many high-field MRI magnets often have imaging studies done in open MRI systems with low-field magnets. The low-field magnet limits the diagnostic usefulness of the images obtained. "This patient-friendly magnet, with the open bore design, helps overcome barriers for certain patients," says Bart Outzen, Director of the AVH Diagnostic Imaging Department. "Patients who might otherwise have to compromise quality in a low-field magnet, or be sedated in the typical small bore magnet, now have the benefit of both an open bore and high quality images." The Siemens Medical Solutions MAGNETOM Espree installed at AVH features a bore opening of nearly 2.3 feet in diameter and almost one foot of free space between a patient's head and the magnet. The Espree also features the shortest 1.5 Tesla magnet available. Approximately four feet long, the magnet allows more than 60 percent of exams to be completed with the patient's head outside the bore, helping to ease claustrophobia. In addition, the Espree can perform advanced studies in less time due to a coil design that enables the highest resolution images in a shorter amount of time. The new MRI cost $1,650,000, with an additional $750,000 being spent on ancillary items and renovations to accommodate the new equipment. The Aspen Valley Medical Foundation (AVMF) contributed $825,000 -- one half the price of the actual magnet -- toward the purchase. "We are extremely grateful to AVMF and its generous donors," said AVH CEO Dave Ressler. "State-of-the-art technology is a high priority for AVH, and AVMF has helped us achieve our goals yet again." AVH Community Newsletter and Annual Reports
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ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL 0401 Castle Creek Road · Aspen, Colorado 81611 · (970) 925-1120
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