Staff Updates

Barb Page to retire

Barb Page is planning to retire on April 15, “but will periodically be involved in small ways through July and will probably find ways to help as a volunteer for longer than they want me,” she chides. Barb came to know Craig initially because of volunteer work through the Junior League of Denver and Kappa Kappa Gamma. When her son’s friend became a patient at Craig, she spent countless hours with him. She soon became a Board member and met grads like Steve Peters who further inspired her. “This place grabbed my heart and never let go.” Then, assuming there was a full staff, she volunteered to help with the capital campaign for the Family Housing Building in 1999—and finding out she was the staff, the one and only staff, didn’t deter her. She quickly formed a team and was named director of development when her Board term expired. One of her favorite memories was rejoicing with the news of the $1 million gift from Dana Raimondi which sparked the successful campaign. She also recalls fondly the craziness of Craig during Survivor Week and Halloween. “Denny O’Malley’s costumes absolutely left us in hysterical laughter.” The stories she gathered during the 100-year anniversary celebration were funny, sad, and uplifting. Now she is looking forward to spending more time with her six grandchildren.

Barb, we wish you the very best and know you will continue to provide us with humor, wit, and inspiration.

Welcome, Jessica Nurack

Jessica Nurack joined the Craig Hospital Foundation staff as a development officer in December 2010, but was first introduced to Craig Hospital as a child when her mother was rehabilitated at Craig after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Currently, Jessica is involved with seeking major gifts for the Foundation as well as coordinating Craig’s young philanthropist group. Before joining Craig’s team, Jessica held administrative and development positions for a number of non-profit organizations, including Iowans for Social & Economic Development (ISED), the Education Development Center (EDC), and the StEPP Foundation. Jessica earned her master’s degree in social and developmental psychology from Brandeis University in 2006. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and also serves on the Member Relations Committee for YNPN Denver.

We have great volunteers

Volunteers are vital to our work at Craig. They bring true-to-life experience to share with patients. In real time, they are there to say that it is alright, and to demonstrate to patients that it is possible not only to survive this challenge they’ve been faced with, but that the outcome can be a full and wonderful life.

We’re grateful for all 160 of our volunteers. Meet three of them here in Movin’ On!

Christina Ripp
Christina played a vital role in the U.S. gold-medal women’s wheelchair basketball victory over Germany in July 2010. She also finished first in the wheelchair division of the 2010 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon last October in Minneapolis, Minn. Congratulations!

Michael Laden
A 1990 Craig grad turned volunteer extraordinare, Michael vacationed last fall in Egypt and sent us this fantastic photo. Thanks, Michael, and we’re glad you’re back after your great trip.

Peter Pauwels
Peter recently received the Hal O’Leary Leadership Award. He has 30 years of experience designing, creating, and providing adaptive fishing equipment and watercrafts at minimal cost for individuals with disabilities. He also promotes participation by offering adaptive fishing opportunities throughout the Rocky Mountains. He recently went to Wichita, Kan., to present a chin-controlled fishing pole to Craig grad Carl Hall as part of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. For more info, see accessiblefishing.org.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Craig Hospital’s longtime friend and volunteer, Jim Richards, on January 6. Throughout his more than 30-year tenure Jim volunteered as a board member, served holiday meals to patients and staff, supported fundraising events, and most recently gave the Monday morning tours to new outpatients. In 2004, Jim was awarded Denver’s Channel 7 Everyday Hero Award by Mitch Jelniker, news anchor. Even if folks around Craig did not know Jim by name, they knew him as the older gentleman with the white hair and big smile who was always singing the praises of each department as he introduced the new patient to them. Jim’s advocacy and passion for Craig are unmatched. We will miss him. Best to his family.

Congrats to Craig pharmacists

Heather Cabiness Smith, PharmD, became a Board Certified Pharmaco-therapy Specialist, and Adrienne Mackzum, PharmD, BCPS, earned her second Board Certification in Psychiatric Pharmacy. Board certification is a distinction achieved by fewer than three percent of the pharmacists in the United States, according to Amy M. Goldstein, RPh, MS, Craig’s director of pharmacy. It is consistent with evolution of the role of the pharmacist from a solely dispensing function to one with significant direct patient care responsibilities. Board certification also supports Craig’s goal of incorporating specialty-trained pharmacists as part of the collaborative care team. The benefit of pharmacist involvement in inpatient and outpatient clinical care has been well documented. Involvement of a clinical pharmacist in inpatient care has been shown to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures.

Terry Chase earns certification as Gestalt-Equine Therapist

Terry Chase, MA, ND, RN, coordinator of patient and family education at Craig, has completed training and certification through Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies. Terry is now a certified Gestalt-Equine Therapist. Patients with spinal cord injury who are almost ready to be discharged from Craig, and who are interested in trying something new, now have the opportunity to interact with horses. This new equine program is an interdisciplinary education outing that pairs individual patients with a horse handler and therapist as an additional way to address personal issues and attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed for life after rehabilitation. Congratulations, Terry!

Dr. Lammertse receives highest SCI honor

Dan Lammertse, MD, has been selected to present the 2010 Donald Munro Lectureship at the September meeting of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals. This is the highest honor given at this national annual SCI scientific conference. His lecture is titled “The Search for Cure in the Age of Information.”

Dr. Lammertse is the medical director of research at Craig, a position he has held since 2008. Dr. Lammertse came to Craig Hospital in 1981 and served as medical director of Craig from 1984 to 2008. He received his medical degree and specialty training in rehabilitation medicine at Ohio State University. He is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and has sub-specialty certification in spinal cord injury.

Dr. Lammertse has authored numerous chapters and scientific articles on topics in spinal cord injury and is internationally recognized as an expert in spinal cord injury rehabilitation. He was the project director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Cord Injury System and served as chair of the NIDRR SCI Model Systems Project Directors Committee from 2000 to 2006. He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Spinal Injury Association from 1991 to 2003, as president from 2001 to 2003. He is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine and is a member of the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Examination Committee of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Lammertse is associate clinical professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Colorado.

The Mark P. Cilo Room and Lecture

This summer, Craig staff and Dr. Cilo’s family honored our beloved departed physician and friend with the naming of the 2-West Conference Room, where he spent much time teaching and leading family conferences. A plaque is now there in his name. We also instituted the annual Mark P. Cilo Lecture in his honor. Pictured here are (from left) Dr. Cilo’s sons Jason Haddock and Hy Lewis; his wife Janie Lewis; Alan Weintraub, MD; and Judy Lazar, CNS manager.

Karen Sims inducted into Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame

Question: Which speech/language pathologist at Craig is also a famous women’s softball player?

Karen Sims, MA, CCC-SP, returned to Little Rock on July 2 to become the youngest inductee to date into the Arkansas Women’s Softball Hall of Fame. Karen started playing at the age of 5, pitched for six Arkansas state championship teams, pitched for the USSSA World Championship team in 1982, and was selected for the USSSA All-World Team 1982. Karen is famous for pitching multiple no-hitters and a perfect game in slow pitch softball. She has been playing ever since, and currently plays on two Denver teams, including Craig Hospital’s co-ed “Crazy Stix” team.

Over the years Karen has received congratulatory letters from President Ronald Reagan, Arkansas Governor Frank White, and others. Since the induction, she has received letters from the mayor of her home town, the Arkansas governor, and even the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club because they heard she is a big fan!

Food service director goes two and one in local drag races

Wes Johnson, Craig’s food service director since 1988, took second place on May 29 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., then came back to win his class on June 26. Wes owns two nostalgic front engine dragsters powered by fuel injected 1953 Mercury engines. He is pictured here in the car in the foreground which runs on ethanol (E85), while his son Steven is in his other dragster which runs on methanol. Wes believes he is the first drag racer in the country running a competitive drag car with these engines on ethanol.

Wes has been drag racing at Bandimere Raceway since the mid ’60s. For Wes, the answer to “how I spend my Craig paychecks” is “priceless.”

The photo is of Wes racing against his son Steven last month at Bandimere almost at the starting line getting ready for a qualifying run in the first round of eliminations. Steven left .02 seconds before his light turned green, and so Wes was automatically the winner of that pairing. Wes lost in the finals by .0032 seconds over a quarter of a mile. Wes says, “Thank you, Frank Craig, for making this possible!”

Three dozen to hike for Team Craig in 25th annual Pikes Peak Challenge

Thirty-six hikers signed up for Team Craig and trained to ascend 14,000-foot Pike’s Peak to raise money for the Brain Injury Association of Colorado and Think First on September 11. Way to go, Team Craig!

Occupational therapist visits Ukraine

In August, Angela Dillbeck, OTR, traveled to Artemivsk, Ukraine, with three other occupational therapists to complete community development projects. All alumni of Creighton University, the OTs facilitated a group of occupational therapy students in donating toys to area orphanages and kindergartens for disabled children, and renovating a space for a local support club for disabled children and their families to meet.

Xio Acosta wins Daisy Award

Xio Acosta, RN,of Craig's outpatient clinic is this year’s DAISY Award recipient. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, and the award is a nationwide program in honor of J. Patrick Barnes. “Whenever I need anything, I know I can count of Xio to help,” says Craig grad Trish Downing, ’00, Denver, Colo. “She is great at supporting patients not only physically, but mentally and emotionally through tough times. I cannot think of another nurse who has given me more of her time and energy than Xio. She is a true example of a caring individual who is dedicated to the welfare of her patients.” Congratulations, Xio, on this well-deserved honor.

Medical director Tom Balazy, MD, named “Top Doc”

Tom Balazy, MD, Craig