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Colorado in “third wave” of COVID-19 as hospitalizations reach highest level since May, state health director says

October 13, 2020

More Colorado residents are in the hospital for COVID-19 than at any point since late May, as hospitalizations surged past the peak of the state’s summer spike.

As of Monday, 288 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Colorado. The last time more patients were receiving hospital-level care for the virus was May 31, when the spring wave of the new coronavirus was receding.

Cases also took a turn upward last week after falling slightly the previous week. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 4,979 cases in the week ending Sunday, which is about 900 cases more than the state saw during the single-biggest week of the July surge.

The state did perform more tests last week than in late July, but the increasing rate of tests coming back positive indicates that’s not the only reason the number of cases is growing. About 4.5% of

Positive Virus Tests, Hospitalizations Surge in Colorado | Colorado News

October 13, 2020

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DENVER (AP) — Colorado is experiencing another surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, prompting Gov. Jared Polis to plead Tuesday with residents to wear masks, stay home as much as possible, and maintain social distancing practices.

As of Tuesday, Colorado’s three-day average positivity rate — the percentage of total tests coming in positive — was 5.4%, and the state recorded 1,000 newly confirmed cases both Saturday and Monday, the highest daily numbers recorded during the pandemic, Polis said.

About 290 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest total since May 31, The Denver Post reported.

During a briefing on the pandemic, Polis didn’t suggest he was contemplating renewed mandatory restrictions on business or other activities to stem the surge. But he insisted: “If this continues, our hospital capacity will be in jeopardy.”

The World Health Organization recommends trying to keep the positivity rate below 5% of all tests.

73 000 Colorado Children Faced Pandemic without Health Coverage / Public News Service

October 12, 2020

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The number of Colorado kids without health insurance is likely to increase further after thousands of families lost employer-based coverage in the economic fallout from COVID-19. (Vperemen.com/Wikimedia Commons)

October 12, 2020

DENVER — Even before the coronavirus pandemic brought the economy to its knees, the number of Colorado children without health insurance was on the rise, according to a new Georgetown University Center for Children and Families report.

In 2019, 73,000 kids in Colorado were uninsured, a 28% increase from three years earlier.

Erin Miller with the Colorado Children’s Campaign said between 2018 and 2019 alone, nearly 10,000 more Colorado kids lost coverage, the largest single-year increase in more than a decade.

“Seventy-three thousand Colorado kids went into the pandemic lacking health insurance coverage, lacking access to health care services, lacking the financial security that health insurance provides,” Miller stated.

Colorado’s rate of uninsured kids, at 5.5%, is close to

Deaths in Colorado rose 20% during first 6 months of pandemic

October 11, 2020

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The number of deaths in Colorado jumped 20% during the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic as at least 3,788 more residents died than would be expected, reflecting the outbreak’s grim toll on human life even beyond those killed directly by the virus.

The increase in fatalities is largely due to the respiratory disease COVID-19, which has become the fourth leading cause of death in the state.

But other causes — including overdoses, cirrhosis, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s — also saw significant spikes, according to an analysis of state data by The Denver Post.

“The pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, including every aspect of our health care and our health,” said Dr. Matthew Wynia, director of the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado.

Overall, an estimated 22,723 Coloradans died between March and August, which is up from the 18,935 deaths the

400-pound bear found sick in Colorado restaurant’s dumpster has to be ‘humanely euthanized’

October 8, 2020

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A 400-pound bear had to be euthanized after it was found in a Colorado restaurant’s dumpster earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Southeast Region tweeted about the incident that happened in Woodland Park, Colorado.

According to the agency, the bear was able to get into the restaurant’s trash because the dumpster wasn’t locked.

WINNER OF ‘FAT BEAR WEEK’ COMPETITION CROWNED BY ALASKA NATIONAL PARK

Bill Vogrin, a CPW public information officer, told Fox News that the bear — which was estimated to be between 18 and 19 years old — was first found in the dumpster around midnight, but wildlife officers hoped the bear would find its way out overnight.

However, when an officer returned to the dumpster in the morning, the bear was still inside and was struggling to get out.

After wildlife officers tranquilized it and tipped the dumpster over, they saw the

Errors force some unemployed in Colorado to repay benefits

October 7, 2020

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DENVER (AP) — Some Colorado residents are being asked to repay some of the unemployment benefits they received from the state due to errors in their applications, Colorado Public Radio reported.

State officials say that human error is to blame, along with the rush required to implement the new system amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The mix-up has affected gig workers especially hard, the radio station reported. Adam Christopher Brill, 39, has seen his benefits drop to about $111 per week, and the state has told him he owes roughly $6,000 to fix an overpayment.

“I felt like they rushed the system to get out,” Brill said. “They were under a lot of pressure. It’s now coming back to us as gig workers and self employed people.”

His error was a typo. When he was applying for benefits, Brill used the wrong figure from his tax forms which inadvertently led

Colorado Access Awards $1.83 Million for Health Innovation | News

October 7, 2020

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DENVER, Oct. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Colorado Access, a nonprofit community-based health plan striving to improve the health and lives of the underserved, today awarded $1.83 million to 19 organizations across Colorado to support the transformation of a coordinated, accountable system of care that improves health delivery and reduces inequities exacerbated by COVID-19.

The Community Innovation Pool awards are part of a new program offered by Colorado Access that funds development and implementation of new models of care that are focused on two major goals:

Focus Area #1: Health inequities and social needs exacerbated by COVID-19

Funding Goals:

To support innovative initiatives, programs and/or services that aim to address and lessen health inequities and health disparities which are being exacerbated by COVID-19.
To identify innovative ideas addressing social determinants of health emphasizing diversity and inclusivity.

Focus Area #2: Telehealth

Funding Goals:

To support innovative access to telehealth for community

Colorado officials warn of potential for COVID-19 increase over holidays

October 7, 2020

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Colorado officials including Gov. Jared Polis expressed concern Tuesday about the “alarming” increase in the number of people hospitalized in the state with the novel coronavirus, cautioning that if that figure continues to rise it could soon affect the quality of care for patients.

During a news conference, Polis said Colorado is at a “critical juncture” and “cannot continue this trend.”

“We’ve got to do better to avoid overwhelming our hospitals,” he said. “That means doubling down on the basics. Wearing a mask. Social distancing. Keeping activities and interactions outside where possible. Washing hands regularly.”

And while it appears COVID-19 infections may have plateaued following a spike from Labor Day weekend, state officials also said Colorado needs to decrease transmission of the virus ahead of winter because cases likely will rise as families gather around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“The position that we are going to be in going in on

Humana Ties Up to Offer Better Healthcare in Colorado Springs

October 6, 2020

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Humana Inc. HUM recently inked an in-network deal with Centura Health in Colorado Springs. Humana Medicare members will now have access to enhanced healthcare with this agreement, which will be effective Jan 1, 2021.

The company’s Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization (HMO) plan members will now be able to enjoy an in-network access to Centura Health’s Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. This, in turn, is expected to result in betterhealth outcomes.

Centura Health connects people across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians, which makes it a perfect fit for Humana’s strategy to offer top-notch medical care to its members. Both companies have the same commitment to provide high-quality healthcare to people.

Scope of Medicare Business

Humana has been taking up several initiatives to provide in-network access to its Medicare Advantage members at various regions. It tied up with Grand View Health for allowing in-network access to Humana

Colorado one of just six states where Latinos are more likely to die prematurely than white residents

October 4, 2020

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Colorado has a reputation as a healthy place to live, but that doesn’t seem to benefit the state’s Hispanic residents, who are more likely to die of causes that could have been treated or prevented.

In all but six states, Hispanic Americans are less likely to die of potentially preventable causes than white Americans, according to a Denver Post analysis of data from the Commonwealth Fund’s state health system scorecard.

In Colorado, however, Hispanic residents are about 20% more likely than white residents to die of treatable conditions, such as asthma attacks, diabetes complications, appendicitis or certain cancers. Deaths of people older than 75 aren’t included in the data.

The information was collected before the pandemic, so it doesn’t reflect COVID-19’s disproportionate hit on communities of color.

Colorado’s Hispanic population is more likely to be uninsured and to go without health care, but that’s also true of the rest of