The legacies of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) are connected through the El Pomar Foundation and countless other community outreach projects and initiatives. It is only fitting that two pillars within the Colorado Springs community are once again joined through a new venture that will amplify Sports Medicine and Performance, as well as the synergy between academic research and medical expertise.

The Hybl Center is a world-class, first-of-its-kind research and health care facility that focuses on the whole person with an intentional and profound impact to advance health - harmonizing mind, body and spirit. Designed with intentional “collision spaces” for collaboration between providers, faculty researchers and students, the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center fully opened to our neighbors, families, friends, patients and surrounding communities on Monday, Aug. 24.

“We are truly grateful to celebrate the culmination of years of combined efforts and hard work by UCCS and Penrose-St. Francis” said Bill Lueck, Co-Executive Director of the Hybl Center who has been with the project from its inception more than six years ago. “The alignment of our two organizations’ missions and values, that were foundational in growing the Colorado Springs community, is truly exponential. We have the opportunity to transform care in our community, building health forward – right here, right now.”

The Hybl Center is home to a variety of healthcare services provided by Centura, including Centura Orthopedics, Centura Sports Medicine, athletic training, physical therapy, state-of-the-art imaging, nutrition services and many other health care services. In this amazing place, we will relentlessly pursue our commitment to integrate exercise, health and wellness as medicines for our nation’s most pressing health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even cancer.

“Our commitment to clinical excellence, whole person care and meeting the health needs of our entire region has been infused into every aspect of the Hybl Center - from the moment you enter the performance center and the nutrition lab to our patient rooms and physical therapy area,” said Dr. Brian Erling, CEO for Penrose-St. Francis. “The Hybl Center is the realization of what is possible when we all work to make every community, every neighborhood, every life, whole and healthy.”

The Hybl Center offers a unique space where athletes, from weekend warriors to elite, can elevate their health and athletic potential. Students, faculty, clinicians, doctors, patients and athletes will also have access to a collection of equipment rarely found in a single facility, such as:

• An altitude chamber that will be able to transport users from a sea level atmosphere to a simulated altitude of 19,000 feet;
• An aggregation of unique treadmills considered the most advanced in the world;
• An environmental chamber that allows control of altitude, temperature and humidity;
• A nutrition laboratory and kitchen to optimize the fuel needed for athletes of all skills and abilities;
• A biomechanics laboratory that will permit enhanced study of movement;
• Specialized equipment to empower athletes with physical disabilities and tactical athletes like firefighters and police officers to train;
• Centura Sports Medicine to provide world-class clinical care to all patients and athletes;
• Centura Sports Performance to enable athletes to train and optimize their achievement.

As an organization dedicated to meeting our community members wherever they are along their path to wholeness, Centura Health is implementing a new digital payment solution, Centura Bill Pay, to better assist our patients with their health care expenses. We need your help in using this service, which launched on August 31, as your experience will be key in endorsing the platform and promoting its adoption.

Centura Bill Pay, developed in partnership with industry leader VisitPay, is designed to complement our high-quality, patient-focused care by simplifying the billing experience and offering more flexibility and convenience to our patients. While patients will have robust options for self-service, our financial advisors will remain available to provide personal attention and assistance whenever needed. With these enhancements, we believe we will better serve our patients by reducing financial anxiety, thereby producing more positive results in satisfaction and bill fulfillment.

Three ways the online experience will improve the billing process:

1. Simplicity    

• Clearly understandable bills, with visit-level insurance information integrated so the patient understands what they owe
• A clean and consumer-grade user experience across all types of devices
• Text and email alerts about billing updates, balances and due dates

• Ability to make a one-time or partial payment
• Ability to consolidate bills for family members under one account, and track all visits on a single monthly statement

• Self-configured payment plans to manage larger balances over time
• Multiple payment options including the use of a Healthcare Savings Account

Trending up These are statistics reflecting Denver County, January through May 2020, as compared to the same period last year: Drug-related fatalities have increased by 65% Fentanyl-related fatalities have increased by 291% Naloxone use by paramedics has increased by 66% Opioid-related emergency department visits have increased by 60%

Among the many unfortunate trends we have seen in 2020 is a rise in drug-related fatalities. Statistics indicate that the number of people experiencing isolation, depression and suicide ideation has increased during the pandemic and has led to higher incidence of substance abuse. In the Denver area, January through May has shown a marked increase in drug-related deaths – especially those involving opioids – compared to the same period last year.

As a reminder, Centura Health Emergency Departments and Emergency & Urgent Care Centers will be providing Naloxone to patients who are at high risk for an opioid use disorder. This temporary antidote for opioid overdoses, once provided only to medical and public health organizations, will be made available to at-risk patients and their families beginning today.

“Many of our patients are at higher risk than ever to overdose or die from opioid misuse,” said Opioid Response Coordinator Mary Beth Savory, RN, BSN, MHA. “Simply stated, providing naloxone to these individuals and loved ones will save lives in our communities.”

John McManus, MD, an Emergency Medicine physician at Mercy Regional Medical Center and a vocal advocate for the naloxone initiative, agrees.
“As more family and friends struggle against the power of opioid use disorder, naloxone empowers them to act in the event of overdose,” he said.

We can all be proud to work in an environment where our executives, providers, nursing staff, pharmacy and clinical decision teams display such a strong commitment to addressing the opioid crisis. Together, we can educate our communities to live better and longer by meeting people where they are in their journeys and continuing our mission to build whole health for the body, mind and spirit.

Questions?
Contact Mary Beth at MarySavory2@Centura.Org.

This article was submitted by Gina Myers and Shannon McPherson, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Zero Suicide Coordinators.

Suicide remains a major challenge for our communities and for health care. Unfortunately, Colorado is sixth in the nation for completed suicides, but there are ways we can reduce this public health crisis and improve lives of people struggling with suicidal thoughts.

As part of Centura Health’s vision to help make every community, every neighborhood, every life - whole and healthy, we have received a federal grant to implement Zero Suicide. This worldwide initiative is working toward transforming health care and behavioral health care systems for suicidal patients.

We were awarded the grant through September 2023 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Our behavioral health teams are working together to implement the Zero Suicide framework throughout our ecosystem, with a current focus on the Denver metro area and Pueblo (Look for an in-depth feature story on this program and its impact in the September edition of Centura Connections, which will distribute to associates on Sept. 9).

Zero Suicide aims to address systemic issues regarding caring for suicidal patients, including gaps in care, identifying suicidal patients, training deficits for staff and providing evidence-based care.

It encompasses seven elements that are needed to create a care pathway for suicidal patients and their families:

• LEAD systemwide culture change committed to reducing suicides
• TRAIN a competent, confident and caring work force up-to-date in suicide care
• IDENTIFY patients with suicide risk via comprehensive screenings
• ENGAGE all individuals at-risk of suicide in a suicide care management plan
• TREAT suicidal thoughts and behaviors using evidence-based treatments
• TRANSITION individuals through care with warm hand-offs and supportive contacts
• IMPROVE policies and procedures through a continuous quality improvement plan

Recently, the United States Postal Service has experienced unpredictable mail delivery delays, which may impact Centura associates’ mail order prescriptions. Centura recommends that you contact our Mail Services Pharmacy at least 14 days in advance to order all of your prescription refills, even if you are enrolled in the auto-refill program. All new prescriptions received by the Mail Services Pharmacy will be processed and shipped within two business days, but understand that delivery may take up to 10 days. If you haven’t received your order and will be out of your medication within five days, please contact the Mail Services Pharmacy.  

Centura Health Pharmacy Services – Mail Order:  local 303-426-2360; toll free 877-775-7863. Hours: Mon – Fri 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (MT); Mon – Fri 9:30 am - 6:00 pm (CT)

If you miss requesting your refill(s) 14 days in advance, consider visiting a Centura Health Outpatient Pharmacy near you. You can also request expedited delivery service for your prescription via FedEx Overnight delivery for a $10.00 shipping fee.

Centura Health Pharmacy Locations

Denver Metro locations
Centura Health Pharmacy at Porter Adventist Hospital 2535 S. Downing St. #G-10 Denver, CO 80210 Phone: 303-778-2427	Centura Health Pharmacy at St. Anthony Health Campus 11600 W. 2nd Place Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone: 720-321-8290
Westminster location	Durango location
Centura Health Pharmacy at St. Anthony North Health Campus 14300 Orchard Parkway Westminster, CO 80023 Phone: 720-627-0090	Centura Health Pharmacy at Mercy Regional Medical Center 1010 Three Springs Blvd Durango, CO  81301 Phone: 970-764-1745
Colorado Springs location	Pueblo location
Centura Health Pharmacy at Penrose Hospital 2222 North Nevada Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Phone: 719-776-5486	Centura Health Pharmacy at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center 1925 E. Orman Ave. #102 Pueblo, CO 81004 Phone: 719-557-5676
Kansas location	Mail Order
Centura Health Pharmacy at St. Catherine Hospital 311 E. Spruce St. Garden City, KS 67846 Phone: 620-271-3125	Centura Health Pharmacy Services – Mail Order 877-775-7863 (toll free) 303-426-2360 (local)

 

How to de-stress
 

The Centura Health Foundations have partnered with Walden University for a new scholarship opportunity available to all Centura Health associates. Walden University has generously donated 30, $15,000 scholarships to Centura Health associates who enroll in a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral program and begin classes on or before December 31, 2020 at Walden University. For scholars whose degree program exceeds $15,000, your local Centura Health hospital foundation will provide a 50% matching gift to each scholarship winner (not to exceed $7,500).

With more than 80-degree programs and more than 385 specializations and concentrations, Walden University can offer Centura Health associates a way to build highly transferable skills that can be immediately applied, as well as a pathway for greater career success. To qualify for a scholarship, the degree program you enroll in must meet the hiring needs of Centura Health. With only 30 scholarships available to Centura Health associates this will be a highly competitive application process.

This unique opportunity is powered by philanthropy and would not be possible without the generosity of Walden University and our community of donors, including many associate donors.

To learn more about this incredible opportunity please join us for a virtual Q & A on Thursday, September 12 at 8pm MST. You can register for it by clicking, here.

You can also visit WaldenU.edu/CenturaHealth-Scholars to learn how to apply, eligibility and requirements, and important deadlines. 

Centura Health is dedicated to becoming the system of choice in Colorado and western Kansas, and we want to support our caregivers on their growth and development journey. As part of our HR Transformation, a new process for tuition reimbursement is effective, as of July 1.

Here’s what you need to know:  
All tuition reimbursement requests, pre-approvals and inquiries must be submitted through the Self Service Hub. Below are links that provide direct access to the tuition reimbursement page in the Self Service Hub, the Quick Guides containing step-by-step instructions for both pre-approval requests and tuition reimbursement requests, and the tuition reimbursement policy. 
 

• Self Service Hub-Tuition Reimbursement
• How to Submit a Pre-Approval Request
• How to Submit a Tuition Reimbursement Request
• Tuition Reimbursement Policy

Information Technology (IT) will perform maintenance on Epic on Sunday, September 13, resulting in planned downtimes beginning at 11:30 p.m. (2330) MT with an environmental pause lasting approximately 5 minutes. 

For Epic:

• All hyperspace connections will be suspended for less than 5 minutes.
• Users logged into Epic when the update begins will receive a message (shown below) indicating the environment is paused. Users will not be able to log in to Epic during this brief period.
• Once the installation is complete, users will be able to resume workflows.