School of Medicine In the News

Dr. Herbert Pardes, a psychiatrist and a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health who brought order to the merger of two major medical centers that became New York-Presbyterian Hospital and ran it for 11 years, died on April 30 at his home in Manhattan. He was 89.

Blaise Pfeifer, 15 and a ninth grader at Standley Lake High School, lives for hockey. He started skating at 3, travels the country for tournaments, and describes gliding across the ice with a puck “like second nature.” 

Cardiovascular disease management is an often overlooked but critical aspect of care for people with type 1 diabetes, authors of a new review paper said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s disclosure that a doctor apparently found a dead worm in his brain has sparked questions about what brain parasites are, the damage they can cause and how, exactly, they get there.

Colorectal cancer rates have been rising for decades among people too young for routine screening, new research finds.

Following military deployment, veterans who served in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan had poorer lung function if they experienced more intense inhalation exposures, according to results published in Respiratory Medicine.

The bird flu has arrived in Colorado, and while it doesn’t represent anywhere near the threat that COVID-19 did at the beginning of the pandemic, people should take some precautions with animals that could carry it, experts say.

Catera Bentley stared at the positive pregnancy test and couldn’t believe her eyes. She took a second test, then a third — there was no question. She was pregnant.

Dr. Karin Payne, associate professor of orthopedics at the CU School of Medicine, discusses a promising step forward in treating osteoarthritis.

Kayden Riley, a fifth grader at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Park Hill, loves basketball and, therefore, the Denver Nuggets of course — baseball cap and all.

As part of the University of Colorado Department of Medicine's annual Research Day, held on April 23, faculty member Christine Swanson, MD, MCR, described her National Institutes of Health-funded clinical research on whether adequate sleep can help prevent osteoporosis. 

Despite the cold and windy weather, nearly three dozen students, faculty and others from the university participated Monday at Anschutz Medical Center in a protest against the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

The annual ophthalmology Power List selects and ranks 100 of the nation's best ophthalmologists, choosing its top 20 industry leaders through a panel of judges who consider cutting-edge industry issues, trends and more.

Both neighborhood environmental and social conditions may help predict the risk of severe asthma among children at the hyperlocal level, a recent study says.

“We’re exposed to hundreds of thousands of toxins daily that come from internal sources like infections, as well as synthetic materials like BPA in plastics,” says Susan Payrovi, M.D., a specialist in integrative medicine at Stanford University.

Psychedelic medicine is an emerging health field, with many clinicians eyeing the use of psychedelic compounds to treat psychiatric illnesses. 

As the Biden administration moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, scientists say the change will lift some of the restrictions on studying the drug.

Former University of Denver chancellor Rebecca Chopp says she was lucky her doctor diagnosed her Alzheimer's early. 

“Lethal means safety is important because suicide isn’t inevitable,” says Emmy Betz, M.D., MPH, an emergency physician and nationally recognized expert in preventing firearm injuries and suicide. Betz is a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she is the founding director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. 

When Jaid Redmon-Greene’s water broke in September of 2021, she went to UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, which delivers about 3,700 babies annually. 

Health system leaders told Becker's they're not surprised by the failure of Walmart Health given the arduous economics of healthcare and the difficulty of providing primary care at scale.

The Aurora-based University of Colorado department of surgery added a colorectal surgery fellowship program.

Shortages of the popular injected weight-loss medicines Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) aren’t going to end any time soon, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A year ago, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency officially ended, and with it came the phasing out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s authorization to collect certain types of public health data.

David M. Higgins, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado, sees patients and also conducts research — but “not the type of research that’s done in the laboratory with beakers and things like that,” as he puts it. 

The Colorado Senate on Friday passed a $247 million bill for four health care-related projects at schools of higher education including $127 million for a college of osteopathic medicine at the University of Northern Colorado.

At her sickest, maybe on a day she puked 70 times or when walking down a hospital hallway felt like the brutal training that made her a world champion triathlete, Siri Lindley visualized running up her favorite mountain trail in Lyons. 

The demands of modern life, from long work hours to the constant influx of emails, can pile up, impacting not only mental well-being but also physical health, including the eyes. 

Denver Health medical director Judith Shlay spoke with FOX31 about how "person-first" language used in medical treatment for addiction can help patients feel less stigmatized.

In March, a New York judge denied a motion to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit brought forward by families of those killed in the Buffalo grocery store mass shooting against several social media companies.

“Better recognition and improved management of patients with the coincidence of gout and chronic kidney disease is essential to improve patient outcomes,” Richard J. Johnson, of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and study co-author, told Healio.

With the weather beginning to turn, many are flocking outdoors this spring while battling increased pollen levels that may bring about severe allergies.

Asthma medications play an essential role in managing asthma – a chronic disease of the airways. If not well-controlled, asthma can produce symptoms such as chest tightness, difficulty breathing, coughing or wheezing. Poor control can even land you in the hospital.

A miracle of modern medicine or a miracle from a higher power? No matter what you believe, the recovery story of Cartier McDaniel is nothing short of amazing.

Imagine your doctor diagnoses you or one of your family members with a significant health condition that if left untreated results in a sixfold higher risk of death and results in debilitating mental and physical health symptoms.

Lung tissue analysis revealed that deployed military personnel had more silica and other silicates in their lungs than controls, according to results published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

A recent study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a nonpartisan health policy research organization, reveals that LGBTQ+ patients face discrimination at higher rates than non-LGBT patients.

Gaping disparities in health care leaves Hispanic Coloradans experiencing the lowest health system performance when compared with other racial and ethnic groups in the state.

First lady Jill Biden was in Aurora Saturday to tour the Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz campus.

Due to structural racism, Black and Latin populations have been exposed to more particulate air pollution, Stephanie Johannes, an allergy and immunology fellow at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said during her presentation.

First lady Jill Biden plans to stop in Aurora this weekend to promote the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.

First Lady Jill Biden will visit Colorado this weekend to speak about a White House initiative seeking to change how the country approaches and funds research on women’s health.

Physicians and researchers say more data is needed on pregnancy outcomes in patients taking GLP-1s as a growing number of women turn to the class of weight loss medications in hopes of reducing their risk of pregnancy complications or increasing their chance of conceiving, Bloomberg reported April 18. 

“Sleep may be an important and novel target for improving health in individuals with T1D, particularly when initiated in adolescence or early in diabetes,” the authors wrote. Stacey L. Simon and Janet K. Snell-Bergeon, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, led this study, which was published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

A new study at Denver’s National Jewish Health found an unexpected potential culprit for lung disease in some combat veterans: silica, which is one of the most common elements in dust, soil and sand.

In a retrospective chart review, IV ketamine led to in a 50% reduction in pain at discharge, with “nearly two-thirds” of patients having no recurrence within 30 days, lead investigator Scott Rosenthal, from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, noted. Rosenthal reported the findings (Abstract S20.010) on April 15 at the American Academy of Neurology 2024 annual meeting.

Findings from a recent study are calling attention to notable deficits in fluid cognition, dexterity, and total cognition among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), further detailing differences in cognitive function scores based on sex and CKD stage.

John Reilly, dean of the CU School of Medicine, called for a ban on the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus. “We have three hospitals that are campus partners on our campus with no physical barriers between us,” Reilly said. “All three of those hospitals have weapons bans or policies in place and we ask that we extend that to the rest of campus.”

Recent research shows that approximately 42% to 63% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who undergo surgery still have seizures in 1 year after surgery although surgery for this patient population has shown to be superior to medical management.

At work, he’s Dr. Jason Persoff. In his off-time, some people call him Storm Doctor.

Matt Kalaycio, MD, FACP, has been elected chair of National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s board of directors.

One doctor has made it his mission to make healthcare more approachable for families in Colorado by launching a Spanish-speaking pediatric surgery clinic. It's the first of its kind in Colorado.

As concerns over campus safety continue to mount from students and faculty in the wake of a deadly shooting on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus, regents for the University of Colorado are still considering whether to impose a ban on people carrying concealed weapons on campus. 

When someone’s heart suddenly stops from cardiac arrest, bystander CPR can help the person’s chance of survival and reduce greater risk of damage. 

One of the most notable aspects of the new Phoenix pediatric sepsis criteria is their design. They were developed to enable clinicians to diagnose sepsis in children regardless of where they practice.

Weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have been hailed as miracle drugs for people struggling with obesity, and under a bill at the state Capitol, insurers would be required to cover them.

The concept of using stents to seal off non-flow-limiting vulnerable plaques, before they have a chance to rupture, worked out in the first major trial testing this provocative idea.

“As of July 29, 2023, Vaccine Safety Datalink surveillance found just 16.2% of pregnant people aged 18 to 49 years had received a COVID-19 booster vaccine, with only 8.3% of Black pregnant people and 9.6% of Latino pregnant people vaccinated during pregnancy,” Joshua T. B. Williams, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Ambulatory Care Services at Denver Health and Hospitals, and colleagues wrote.

Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections.

To become a physical therapist, students must first master areas of science such as biomechanics, neuroscience, exercise physiology and anatomy. These are the top schools to train physical therapists at the doctorate level (DPT). The University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Physical Therapy Program is ranked #11.

David M. Higgins, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado, sees patients and also conducts research — but “not the type of research that’s done in the laboratory with beakers and things like that,” as he puts it. 

Ophthalmology is typically seen as one of the most rewarding careers in medicine.

Anders Gilliand was just 17 years old when he started to lose contact with reality. 

Nontraditional risk factors such as migraine and autoimmune diseases have a significantly greater effect on stroke risk in young adults than traditional risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and tobacco use, new research showed.

What should you do when an emergency room patient starts rapidly declining? How do you tell someone they have cancer? Do you know how to help calm an agitated patient? When is it time to reach out to the attending physician for help?

For those trying to watch the total solar eclipse, which will start to become viewable in Colorado on Monday, April 8, shortly after 12:00 p.m., experts say you'll need to follow some specific instructions, for your viewing safety.

“Since it’s common for there to be long delays before diagnosis of CNO, it is important to start an effective treatment promptly,” Katherine D. Nowicki, of Children’s Hospital Colorado, [and assistant professor of pediatrics at CU School of Medicine] Aurora, Colorado, told attendees. “While we have guidance on which treatments to use, it remains unclear which patients are most likely to respond to NSAIDs and which patients will require a second-line treatment.”

Among young adults with ADHD, those who were prescribed stimulant medications had higher risk for cardiomyopathy than those who were not, researchers reported.

As the flu season ends, Colorado doctors are keeping an eye on the rise of measles cases nationwide.

The University of Colorado is preparing to begin testing gene therapies for ...

Denver’s weather has been nice lately, and naturally, Coloradans are getting outside. But sunshine and temperatures in the 60s mean allergy season has arrived.

During the first three years Colorado’s “red flag” law was in effect, judges approved more than two-thirds of the petitions seeking the removal of guns from people believed to be dangerous, according to a study released Monday.

Matt Lubick started his cancer fight with a marathon. The longtime football coach walked the full 26 miles of a marathon in the hospital on the first day of chemotherapy at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, as detailed in a story on the hospital's website.

Sarah Wartell first started noticing the signs in 2020. “I went to the ER a couple times, you know, being told it was food poisoning or, you know, a stomach bug,” said Wartell.

What is likely to be a stunning solar eclipse is headed for the United States on April 8.

Allergist and immunologist Laura A. Wang, MD, has long had a passion for promoting women’s health and children’s health within the allergy field.

Meet Christel Walrath, originally from Hot Springs, South Dakota, Christel was prematurely born on December of 1951.

Carly Edwards found out at just about the worst time possible that her oldest daughter is allergic to eggs.

I spoke with Sean O’Leary, a specialist of pediatric infectious diseases and a professor at the University of Colorado, whose expertise is vaccines and vaccine communication. He told me that when he has conversations with parents who are hesitant about immunizations, he keeps in mind that they are just trying to figure out what is best for their kids.

A Denver Health oncologist spoke with FOX31 about the importance of cancer screening and treatment after Princess Kate announced she has cancer.

Health organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have recently raised alarm bells on increasing cases of measles in the U.S.

On Feb. 20, 2023, a 77-year-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit at Aurora’s Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center for chronic kidney disease. Two weeks later, nurses and doctors grew concerned after learning the man’s significant other, unbeknownst to ICU staff, had been giving him a tincture under his tongue while he slept

UCHealth provided more than half a billion dollars’ worth of uncompensated care in fiscal year 2023, and representatives for the health care system on Tuesday said they expect to spend even more this year.

Treatment-emergent adverse events with epicutaneous immunotherapy for peanut allergy grew less frequent and severe over 5 years, according to a poster at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.

One January morning in 2021, Carol Rosen took a standard treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Three gruesome weeks later, she died in excruciating pain from the very drug meant to prolong her life.

Since 1966, the Bernard F. Gipson Eastside Family Health Center has provided primary care to Coloradans. The historic health center has a new addition — and it's hard to miss.

An off-the-cuff request at the local butcher led to a serendipitous discovery about heart valve disease, leading to potential new sex-specific ways to treat it.

ADHD stimulant medications like Ritalin or Adderall appear linked to a heightened risk for cardiomyopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle), and the risk grows with time, new research shows.

Migraines in young adults appear to increase their risk of stroke more than traditional risk factors like high blood pressure, a new study reports.

Dr. Benjamin Li, an emergency medicine physician with Denver Health, spoke with FOX31 about the importance of safe firearm storage and the hospital's violence prevention program.

A group of volunteers gathered in a church across the street from the state Capitol on a recent day in Denver. 

Media attention can boost a scientist’s career, bringing them prestige and making it easier to attract collaborators and students. But there are disparities in who gets named in news stories about scientific research, according to a new study: Scientists with East Asian and African names are less likely to be mentioned or quoted in stories that reference their work.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine suggests that returning to moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) after a concussion may have a positive impact on reducing anxiety levels among teenagers during the recovery period. 

But Minkin and other doctors who treat perimenopausal symptoms say that the science on many products is murky. “Most of these things should be treated with a fair degree of skepticism,” says Nanette Santoro, a professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Nontraditional risk factors such as migraine, valvular heart disease and thrombophilia may be linked to increased risk for stroke among younger adults, researchers reported.

There’s something uniquely unsettling about Tuesdays—especially if you have a traditional work schedule. 

At 87 years old, Carol Faust is probably logging more cross-country skiing miles than you. 

At the end of 2023, Tristan Chen climbed Desperanza V15 in Hueco Tanks, which was first climbed by Daniel Woods 15 years ago. It’s is a low start to the classic Esperanza V14. A video featuring his send just dropped on YouTube.

Three years after Colorado stopped requiring doctors to report newborns who tested positive for drugs as possible child abuse victims, the number of families referred to child protective services for prenatal drug use is down 25% — but hospitals are still learning how best to support new mothers battling addiction.