The Associate Engagement Pulse Survey closes tomorrow! If you haven’t yet, please take a few minutes to share your voice in this brief (less than five minutes) and confidential online survey that measures key aspects of your experience and helps strengthen our connected ecosystem.

Check your Centura email for a message from survey@glintinc.com. This invitation is your personalized link to complete the survey and share confidential feedback. Please note that physicians did not receive this pulse survey.

This short survey serves as a check-in on engagement activities and invites you to share your voice on key topics, such as our culture, recognition for your work and leader feedback. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to provide feedback and share your experience!

Questions?
Please contact your entity human resources director or email engagement@centura.org.

For more than two decades, Denver’s 5280 Magazine has asked physicians in the Denver area who they would trust to treat themselves or a loved one.

We’re excited to recognize the following Centura Health physicians who were nominated by their peers in 2021:

• Brett Abernathy, MD, The Urology Center of Colorado, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of urology.
• William Boroughf, DO, Porter and Littleton Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of medical toxicology.
• Thomas Cain, MD, Senior Health First Lakewood, has been named a Top Doc in the specialty field of geriatric medicine.
• Jeff DesJardin, MD, St. Anthony and Avista Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of infectious disease.
• Michael Drewek, MD, OrthoColorado and St. Anthony hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of Neurological Surgery.
• Charlotte Ellenbogen, DO, Avista and Porter Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of infectious disease.
• Wade Faulk, MD, St. Anthony North Health Campus, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of hand surgery.
• Myles Guber, MD, Littleton and Porter Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of thoracic and cardiac surgery.
• Daniel Haber, MD, St. Anthony North Health Campus and OrthoColorado Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of orthopedic sports medicine.
• Trevor Harrington, DO, St. Anthony North Family Medicine Orchard, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of family medicine.
• Thomas Keyes, MD, St. Anthony North Health Campus, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of anesthesiology.
• Marcus Kret, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of cardiology.
• Forrest Lensing, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, St. Anthony North Health Campus and Avista Adventist Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of diagnostic radiology.
• Michael Lersten, MD, St. Anthony North Health Campus, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• Nate Little, MD, OrthoColorado and Parker Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of neurocritical care.
• Scott London, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of neurology.
• Chris Mawn, MD, Aspen Ridge ENT, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of otolaryngology (ENT), facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
• Mark Murray, MD, St. Anthony, OrthoColorado and Littleton Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of vascular neurology.
• Christopher Nichols, MD, St. Anthony, OrthoColorado and Parker Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of vascular neurology.
• Peter Riley, MD, OrthoColorado and Parker Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of sleep medicine.
• Eric Spier, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of brain injury medicine.
• Irinel Stanciu, MD, St. Anthony and Littleton Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in endocrinology-diabetes and metabolism.
• Theodore Stathos, MD, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of pediatric gastroenterology.
• Craig Stewart, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, St. Anthony North Health Campus and Avista Adventist Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of diagnostic radiology.
• Eben Strobos, MD, St. Anthony Hospital, has been named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of colon and rectal surgery.
• Federico Trobo, MD, St. Anthony and Avista Adventist hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of cardiovascular disease.
• Todd VanderHeiden, MD, St. Anthony and OrthoColorado hospitals, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of spinal cord injury medicine.
• Zachary Vest, MD, Parker Adventist Hospital, was named a 5280 Top Doc in the specialty field of ophthalmology.

5280 Magazine is an award-winning guide to culture, local issues, dining, arts, entertainment and living well in Denver. To view a complete list of Top Docs, click here.

Please join us in recognizing these deserving physicians and thanking them for living our Vision of every community, every neighborhood, every life - whole and healthy.

You are invited to join our Profile Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to learn more about the work/life services available through our new vendor Life Expert Work/Life Services during a webinar from noon to 1 p.m. MT Thursday, Sept. 9.

To register, visit www.ProfileEAP.org or click here.

Navigating the practical challenges of life, while handling the demands of your job can be stressful and finding the right work/life balance is key to living a happier healthier life. During the webinar you will learn about our work/life balance services and the new EAP app available to you and your family.

Questions?

Call Profile EAP at 800.645.6571.

Centura is committed to a multi-faceted approach to prevention, harm reduction and treatment across our connected ecosystem: Decreasing opioid use Increasing alternatives to opioids (ALTO) Reducing harm from opioid use Providing effective treatment options for those battling substance use disorders. Click here to learn more. If you or someone you know needs help with substance abuse, visit https://www.centura.org/recovery.

In 2020, a total of 464 residents of Kansas and 1,477 residents of Colorado were killed by drug overdoses. This was a record high for Colorado, with 939 of those deaths related to opioid overdose, but that record likely will be broken this year, as 686 opioid-related deaths had already been reported by the end of July.

Preventing and treating this growing crisis in our communities is a vital part of the whole person care we deliver. In September 2020, we helped launch a statewide initiative to provide our communities with effective access to naloxone (also known as Narcan), a proven antidote for opioid overdoses, in an effort to save lives. Through this initiative, we identify patients in emergency settings who are at high risk for opioid misuse and provide them and their families with naloxone take-home kits to be used in the event of an overdose.

For decades, naloxone, an FDA-approved medication, has been used by first responders and emergency department providers to immediately reverse the effects of an opioid-related overdose. However, since history shows that most overdoses occur in the home and prove fatal before official help arrives, in 2020 Colorado broadened access to this antidote by making it available to non-medical individuals. In addition, the state passed legislation that protects those who prescribe and administer naloxone from all civil and criminal liability.

To date, 26 Centura hospitals, ED and Emergency Urgent Care (EUC) locations have naloxone available for take-home use – and these sites have distributed 500 take-home naloxone kits to families in our communities over the past year! We are working to expand this initiative within Centura Health as well as among other health care providers in the communities we serve. Due in large part to Centura’s efforts, 25% of Colorado hospitals/ERs now have a take-home naloxone program.

To help maximize our impact, in April 2021 Centura enrolled as a partner in the Colorado Naloxone Project, which aims to have all Colorado hospitals and emergency departments distribute naloxone to at-risk patients. We are thrilled to partner with other Colorado health care providers to expand this harm reduction initiative, which not only saves lives but also has seen increased rates of patients entering treatment and decreasing drug use.

Additionally, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared August to be Colorado Naloxone Awareness Month, further showing the state’s support for this life-saving medication. The month is an excellent opportunity for us to help build awareness about naloxone and encourage our patients and their loved ones to access the life-saving medication. You can learn more at https://corxconsortium.org/naloxoneawarenessmonth.

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, people around the world will mark International Overdose Awareness Day, which commemorates without stigma those lost to drug overdoses and shows the impact those deaths have on family, friends, and the community. You can learn more and join in this day of remembrance on the International Overdose Awareness Day website or the #EndOverdoseCO page.

Combating the nationwide opioid crisis takes all of us. We are grateful for the commitment of our all our incredible people who are engaged so wholeheartedly in our opioid prevention, harm reduction and treatment endeavors; know that your efforts will only serve to create a healthier, brighter, more hopeful tomorrow.

Questions?
Contact Mary Beth Savory, RN, BSN, MHA, Opioid Response Coordinator, at marybethsavory@centura.org.