Health
‘Blueprint’ of reforms would help state address suicide, substance abuse
On Feb. 7, only three days after her daughter Olivia’s 13th birthday, Vickie Zacher’s worst nightmare became a reality. “I do feel my daughter could have been saved, but she was just a number being pushed through the system that failed us,” said Zacher, who spoke during a press conference on Wednesday about how she […]
Colorado health professionals: The oil and gas industry needs to take a step back
By Velma L. Campbell, Cory D. Carroll, Karen K. Dike and Jan Douglas When entering the medical field, we vowed to always do whatever it takes to improve and protect the health of our patients. Little did we know that in order to do that, advocacy was needed outside our medical offices. As clinicians we […]
Rising COVID-19 transmission rate rivals July spike, state officials say
For the past couple of weeks, state officials have been reporting that outbreaks among college students could pose a danger to Colorado’s ability to keep COVID-19 under control. It’s now clear that the number of new cases is rising on a steeper trajectory than during the spike after the Fourth of July, officials said at […]
Congress launches inquiry into claims about gynecological procedures at Georgia immigrant facility
Top U.S. House Democrats are investigating a whistleblower’s allegations that immigrant women in a Georgia detention center endured gynecological procedures without their consent or full understanding of the treatment that was being performed. Dawn Wooten, a nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center, said women at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility “were […]
Why Colorado needs home birth midwives, now more than ever
Imagine, leaving a 23-hour labor and birth, after mom birthed the baby in the family’s living room right alongside her wife. All night she labored, with the lights low, in her home, in the hands of a safe provider, where she could grab snacks filled with protein or Gatorade from her own fridge. In the […]
FACT CHECK: Cory Gardner’s bill has as much to do with politics as preexisting conditions
Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican running in a tight race for reelection in Colorado, says he wants to protect people with medical conditions. In a mid-September tweet released by his campaign, he promoted legislation he introduced in August that he says will do just that. “People like my mother who battle chronic diseases are heroes,” […]
‘Strict enforcement’ threatened for students at CU Boulder, where COVID-19 cases spike
Cases of COVID-19 are climbing once again in Colorado, spurred in large part by outbreaks at the University of Colorado Boulder. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 507 new cases on Sept. 17, representing the largest number of daily new cases since Aug. 4. CU Boulder reported 130 new cases of COVID-19 […]
Here’s how counties can move between COVID-19 restriction levels
Two days after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment created a new “dial” framework to set thresholds for different levels of COVID-19 restrictions, state officials provided some more clarity about the process. Whether a county falls under Stay at Home, the most restrictive level and red part of the “dial”; Safer at Home […]
Oil and gas regulators signal support for 2,000-foot setbacks
A majority of the commission overseeing oil and gas drilling in Colorado on Wednesday voiced support for a significant increase in the state’s mandatory “setback” distances between new wells and occupied buildings. “I think we’re tasked with making a setback, and a regulatory regime, that is protective,” Jeff Robbins, chair of the Colorado Oil and […]
State regulators near decision on oil and gas setback distances
Within weeks of suffering defeat at the ballot box in 2018, anti-fracking group Colorado Rising announced its plans to fight on, hiring former Democratic State Rep. Joe Salazar to lead its continued efforts to hold what it called “bad government actors and abusive oil and gas companies” accountable. Now, nearly two years after voters soundly […]
Cities and states look to crack down on ‘less-lethal’ weapons used by police
By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News, and Kevin McCoy and Donovan Slack, USA TODAY Following nationwide protests against police brutality in which law enforcement officers wounded or blinded protesters, state and local lawmakers and an international police association are taking steps to restrict the use of “less-lethal” weapons that caused the injuries. At least seven […]
Oil companies rely on controversial firm to rebut Colorado health study
One day after Colorado health officials briefed a state rulemaking panel on the potential health risks posed by oil and gas drilling, industry groups brought in an expert of their own to downplay the state’s findings — and her comments were blunt. “My expert conclusion is that there’s no credible, causal evidence that current setback […]