Craig Hospital Blog

Race Car Driver Recovering From Lightning Strike

Racecar driver, Richard Burton, was interviewed by Raj Chohan of CBS4 yesterday.  He is making remarkable progress in his recovery at Craig Hospital after being struck by lightning.  "It was a beautiful day, the storm had passed.  There was one little cloud in the sky..."  Richard had jumped on his grandaughter's bike to see if he could help at a nearby accident scene.  That was the last thing he remembered.

The full story can be seen on the CBS4 Denver web site:

http://cbs4denver.com/local/richard.burton.lightning.2.1293454.html

Craig Hospital Thanks Warren Miller Entertainment

Inspiration!

See story below...

Warren Miller Dynasty Film Premiered at Craig Hospital

November 3, 2009, Englewood, CO--Warren Miller's new film, Dynasty, premiered at Craig Hospital yesterday.  Two athletes, Sam Ferguson and Felix Snow, featured in a segment about the Mono Skier X competition at the Winter X Games in Aspen made a special appearance, inspiring patients, family members and staff.  Ferguson and Snow were both former patients at Craig Hospital; their appearance illustrated the limitless possibilities to a crowd of staff and patients in the Craig gymnasium--some with canes, many in wheelchairs, and several newly-injured, bed-ridden patients. 

Felix has dedicated much of his life to helping the newly injured transition into a "wheeled" world by teaching skiing and demonstrating his life of adventure to others.  Summer or winter you will find Felix always on the move, biking, skiing, splitting wood and shoveling snow.  He says, "All things are possible, it just might take a little more time."

Sam Ferguson was the first sit skier to ride the half pipe in the X-Games, establishing a disabled presence in the event.  He is a downhill alternate for the 2010 Paralympic Team and placed 2nd in the X-Games 13 in 2009. His mission is to expand the possibilities of monoskiing through the exploration of new competition opportunities, development of equipment, and the promotion of all aspects of the sport.

Thanks to the staff at Warren Miller Entertainment for bringing this opportunity to Craig, and to Sam and Felix for providing inspiration to all.

Sam Ferguson and Felix Snow

www.craighospital.org

 

 

Craig Hospital Named Referral Agency for Daniels Scholarship

Craig Hospital Named Referral Agency for Daniels Scholarship

Daniels' Fund Scholarship Opportunity

Contact: Terry Chase, MA, ND, RN 303-789-8211

 Former Craig Hospital patients who are high school seniors seeking to attend college in fall 2010 are encouraged to contact Craig Hospital, which has been named an official Daniels Scholarship Referral Agency.

The Daniels Fund will award more than 200 Daniels Scholarships in the spring to graduating high school seniors. Students may use their scholarship at any two- or four-year accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States with an intention to complete a bachelor's degree.

Referral Agencies are high schools and youth serving organizations that are responsible for finding and nominating eligible candidates for the Daniels Scholarship. Each agency receives a limited number of nominations for candidates who demonstrate financial need, strength of character, academic promise, leadership potential, and other qualities.

The deadline for applying for the Daniels Scholarship is Dec. 2, and students must have already completed either the SAT or ACT test. For information, please contact Terry Chase 303-789-8211.

Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television known for his kindness and generosity to those in need, established the Daniels Fund which operates the Daniels Fund Grants Program and Daniels Fund Scholarship Program in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.danielsfund.org

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Chicago Police Officer Densey Cole heads home from Craig Hospital

Densey Cole, his wife Mary, and brother-in-law Danny left Craig Hospital early this morning to return to home to Chicago and begin outpatient rehabilitation.  Two dozen police officers from Denver, Englewood, and surrounding areas came by to say goodbye, and Densey was escorted to DIA by a police motorcade.  The Denver metro area police departments have been incredibly supportive of Densey and his family while they have been at Craig for his rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury on May 28th.  Before he departed he thanked all the officers for their caring, and assembled a group for a photo.   Over the past 25 years Craig has treated more than 35 police officers from 15 states.   

article and photos by Kenny Hosack

www.craighospital.org

Two Craig staff awarded highest ACRM honors

 
 Wayne Gordon, ACRM President and Gale Whiteneck ***  Mark Sherer, ACRM Awards Chair and Cindy Dahlberg
 

On Friday night Oct 2nd, at the closing banquet of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) meeting in Denver, Gale Whiteneck, Ph.D., FACRM and Cindy Dahlberg, M.A., CCC-SLP, CPHQ, FACRM received top honors in front of 150 of their peers.  Dr. Whiteneck, director of Craig’s Research Department since 1986 received the Gold Key Award of Merit, ACRM’s highest honor.  Cindy Dahlberg, director of quality and former director of Craig’s Speech and Language department received ACRM’s prestigious Fellow Award for her contributions in the field of rehabilitation since 1973.  

In Dr. Whiteneck’s acceptance remarks, he thanked his colleagues in Craig’s research department and around the U.S., the Craig physicians, Craig’s administration for unwavering support of his work, and the thousands of patients with SCI and TBI who have participated in our research.

Congratulations Gale and Cindy for this well-deserved recognition, and for your lifetime of service to patients with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. 

 

article and photos by Kenny Hosack

 

www.craighospital.org

Daniels Fund, Craig Hospital and the Denver Police Department team up to honor and support police officers

 

 

 

 

   

Daniels Fund, Craig Hospital and the Denver Police Department team up to honor and support police officers

Bill Daniels Neighborhood Hero Award to honor law enforcement officers from across the U.S. who place their lives on the line in service to others. Award includes a $100,000 grant to provide for the needs of families of injured officers receiving care at Craig Hospital 

Englewood, CO – Oct. 6, 2009 -- Law enforcement officers from across the U.S. were honored as “Bill Daniels Neighborhood Heroes” during a 1:30 p.m. ceremony on Oct. 3 at the Westin Tabor Center in Denver. The award included the announcement of a $100,000 grant to provide for the needs of families of injured officers receiving care at Craig Hospital.

More than 50 police chiefs from major U.S. cities assembled for the 116^th Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police were on hand for the presentation that honored officers who have been severely injured in the line of duty. Denver Police Chief Gerald Whitman; Linda Childears, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund; and Dick Hall, chairman of the board of Craig Hospital; took part in the presentation.

The ceremony included a brief video highlighting two officers and their families currently receiving care at Craig: Officer Chris Dewey from Mahnomen, Minnesota who sustained a traumatic brain injury from a gunshot wound on Feb. 18, 2009, and Officer Densey Cole II from Chicago who was paralyzed in a traffic accident while on duty on May 28, 2009. 

Officer Cole addressed the gathering; Officer Dewey’s wife, Emily also addressed the gathering on behalf of her husband, whose injuries precluded him from attending.

Dick Hall, Craig Hospital’s chairman, received the grant award from the Daniels Fund. More than 35 officers from 15 different states have been patients at Craig Hospital over the past 25 years. Officers come from states including Colorado, New York, Illinois, Missouri, California, Texas, Iowa, and Wyoming.

The Denver Police Department has consistently offered support to officers and their families from other cities receiving treatment at Craig Hospital. The $100,000 Daniels Fund grant will support needs for immediate family members not covered by the afflicted officers’ workers compensation benefits, and could include family housing, transportation, meals, day care, and other necessary incidentals.  The Daniels Fund will establish a community Advisory Board to review on going requests for grant funding.

The award is named for Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television who was an aircraft carrier fighter pilot in World War II. His legacy at the Daniels Fund provides college scholarships for students in financial need and grants to nonprofit organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Information on the 116^th Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police is available at www.theiacpconference.org

 

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Craig Hospital is a non-profit, national rehabilitation hospital and research center that specializes exclusively in treatment and research of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Last year Craig treated patients from 47 states and was ranked in the Top Ten Rehab Hospitals by US News and World Report for the 20th consecutive year. 

 

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Partnering with the Denver Police and other organizations, the Daniels Fund presents “Bill Daniels Neighborhood Hero Awards” to officers and citizens who go “above and beyond the call to duty” when faced with a life-threatening situation. Bill Daniels established the Daniels Fund to provide grants and scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. When he died in the year 2000 his estate transferred to the Daniels Fund, making it one of the largest foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. For more information, please visit www.danielsfund.org

 

 

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Media Contacts:

 

Kenny Hosack

Public Relations    

Craig Hospital

303-789-8490

303-921-3371 (cell)

khosack@craighospital.org

 

Mary Bonner

Communications Manager

Craig Hospital Foundation

303-789-8019

303-549-4213 (cell)

mbonner@craighospital.org

 

Peter Droege

VP of Communications

Daniels Fund

303-519-9533

pdroege@danielsfund.org

 

Sonny Jackson

PIO

Denver Police Department

720-913-6534

Sonny.jackson@denvergov.org

3425 S. Clarkson St. Englewood, CO 80113    303-789-8000 www.craighospital.org

 

Craig Hospital's medical director Tom Balazy MD named Top Doc

 

Dr. Tom Balazy, Craig Hospital's medical director was voted Top Doc by his peers in 5280 Magazine's "Top Docs", in the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine category.  The 5280 magazine issue was released yesterday.

Dr. Balazy has been at Craig since 1987 and for 17 years Dr. Balazy was Craig's Medical Director at the Multitrauma unit at Swedish Medical Center. Dr. Balazy received his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and completed a fellowship in spinal cord and brain injury at Craig. He is also assistant clinical professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Balazy is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In 2006 Dr. Balazy received the Jerome Gersten Clinical Teaching Award from the Dept. of PM&R at the UCHSC School of Medicine. Dr. Balazy is the author of a widely read publication on chronic pain in spinal cord injury.

Congratulations Dr. B!

www.craighospital.org

U.S. Paralympics and Craig Hospital partner to create Paralympic Sports Club

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. August 25, 2009, Englewood, CO. U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Craig Hospital have partnered to create the Craig Hospital Paralympic Sports Program and be recognized as an official Paralympic Sport Club.

The Craig Hospital Paralympic Sports Program will be a community-based sports club that involves youth and adults with physical disabilities in team sports and physical activity, regardless of skill level. Programs and activities will be based in Englewood and run by Craig Hospital.

"U.S. Paralympics is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals with physical and visual disabilities to be physically active in their own communities. Participation in physical activity enhances not only self-esteem and peer relationships, but also results in greater achievement, better overall health and higher quality of life," said Mike Mushett, U.S. Paralympics Director of Community Programs.

With 21 million physically disabled Americans, including thousands of military personnel who've been severely injured while on active duty, this is an important community need.

Craig Hospital has been an international leader in the rehabilitation and research of patients with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury since 1956, including leadership in some of the first competitive wheelchair games in the U.S. and the world back in the 1960s and 70s.

"Craig Hospital is honored and excited to be part of the Paralympic family", said Mike Fordyce, President and CEO of Craig. "Last year we had seven Craig- affiliated athletes who competed in Beijing and we could not be more proud", said Fordyce.

U.S. Paralympics is committed to working with community organizations across the United States to create 250 Paralympic Sport Clubs by 2012.

For more information about the Craig Hospital Paralympic Sports Program , contact Corey Fairbanks, 303-523-8160

fairbanksc@craighospital.org

.

For more information about U.S. Paralympics, please contact Susan Katz, (719) 866-2068 or

susan.katz@usoc.org

.

For more information about Craig Hospital, contact Kenny Hosack, 303-789-8490

khosack@craighospital.org

About U.S. Paralympics:

U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics website at

www.usparalympics.org

.

About Craig Hospital

Craig Hospital is a non-profit, national rehabilitation hospital and research center that specializes exclusively in treatment and research of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Last year Craig treated patients from 47 states and this year was ranked in the Top Ten Rehab Hospitals by US News and World Report for the 20th consecutive year.

3425 S. Clarkson St. Englewood, CO 80113 303-789-8000

www.craighospital.org

Upcoming CHPSC Scheduled Events (media is invited to all)

Colorado Avalanche Sled Hockey Mini Camp

Saturday September 5^{th, 2009}

1-5pm

Pepsi Center, Denver

Contact: Corey Fairbanks, 303-523-8160,

^{cfwheels@comcast.net}

Adaptive Mountain Bike Clinic

Saturday September 12, 2009

8:00am – 5pm

Marshall Mesa Trail Head, Boulder

Contact: Jen Heilveil, 303-413-7474,

^{heilveilj@bouldercolorado.gov}

Quad Rugby Clinic

Saturday September 19th, 2009

9:00am-5:00pm

Craig Hospital, Englewood

Contact: Jason Regier, 303-949-7640,

^{regier7@gmail.com}

Western Sled Hockey League Tournament

Friday October 9th – Sunday October 11th

The Edge Ice Arena, Littleton

Contact: Corey Fairbanks, 303-523-8160,

^{cfwheels@comcast.net}

Mark Cilo, M.D. -- Gone but Never Forgotten

Craig Hospital is deeply saddened to report the death of Mirk Cilo, M.D., 65, who died suddenly on July 30.  Dr. Cilo was a local, state, and national pioneer in brain injury rehabilitation.  He worked at Craig Hospital From 1978-present, and consulted with numerous other hospitals and organizations in Denver. Dr. Cilo helped develop the Brain Injury Association of Colorado, and nationally he chaired the Standards of Care Committee for Acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation Programs for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.  Dr. Cilo was a visionary, team leader, program developer, teacher, public speaker, and friend.  He was well loved by thousands of patients, families, and colleagues. 

Dr. Cilo is survived by his wife, Janie, of 22 years, brother Stuart Cilo of Lewiston, PA., and children Kelsey Haddock (Jason) of Centennial and Hiram Lewis IV (Jessica) of Nashville, TN., and his brother Stuart Cilo (Judy) of Lewiston, PA., and his beloved dogs Jasper, a Jack Russell, and Baby, a retired and rescued Greyhound racer.

 Donations can be made to:

Craig Hospital Foundation, 

3425 S Clarkson St. 

Englewood, CO 80113, 

303-789-8650; 

or the Colorado Humane Society/SBCA,

 2760 S. Platte River Dr., 

Englewood, CO 80110, 303-781-9344.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cilo Family.