GRANBY MEDICAL CENTER MODERNIZES TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES
By Cindy Kleh / Photos by Carter Photographics

CAT Scanner at the Granby Medical Center.

There’s no doubt that the remote location of Grand County’s mountains, rivers and alpine meadows provides a dramatic background for outdoor adventures. But when a person is acutely sick or hurt, being in the middle of the wilderness can mean extra time spent traveling to more populated areas where the most current medical technology can be obtained. Sometimes the distance between the patient and those services can mean the difference between life and death.

To address this need, Granby Medical Center (GMC) thas expanded its facilities to help meet the demands of a growing community and reduce the amount of health care dollars spent outside the county. The improvements have made medical services more convenient for local patients and have brought state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to our neck of the woods.

“We need to be very independent up here,” says Dr. Tim Bohlender, who oversaw the renovations from the planning stages that began two years ago. “Good care is our first and utmost concern. I’m very proud of our providers, our staff and the Centura System.” Centura Health is Colorado’s largest health care provider with over 13 hospitals, six mountain clinics, seven senior living communities, and Centura Health at Home, which includes home care, hospice, home medical equipment and oxygen services.

The cornerstone of the renovations is a brand-new Computed Tomography Scanner (a.k.a. CT or CAT Scanner). Over 1000 scans have been performed since the machine was installed in February 2009. Whether emergency or routine, patients no longer have to travel out of the county for these studies. CTs are crucial for trauma patients with potential fractures or internal injuries, providing a much better view than an x-ray. A technologist or doctor can view a 3-D reconstruction of a bone or an organ on a computer screen.

The emergency room was also updated and enlarged and several important pieces of equipment were added. A fiber-optic GlideScope® enables the emergency room physician to more easily intubate the critically ill or injured patient to assist with breathing. An ultrasound machine offers a tremendous range of diagnostic capabilities including examining the internal organs for injury and bleeding, identifying foreign bodies in the skin, and assisting with placement of intravenous lines.

The new wing provides needed space for medical offices, exam rooms for family practice, diagnostic labs, a new conference room, and a “call room” where physicians providing around-the-clock care can rest. Imaging studies performed at GMC are sent digitally to Denver for immediate interpretation by Radiologists. On the wish list for future additions are observation beds, surgery, birth and chemotherapy facilities.

New in November 2009 was the Granby Specialty Clinic, an offshoot of GMC that provides exam rooms for specialists who are dedicated enough to take off time from their regular practices on the Front Range to see patients in Grand County once or twice a month. This is especially helpful to elderly patients who would otherwise have to drive over the Continental Divide for each consultation or follow-up visit.

Providers at Granby Specialty Clinic include Alpine Physical Therapy and doctors specializing in hand, foot and orthopedic surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, neurosurgery, urology and endocrinology. (Call 970-887-7400 to make an appointment.)

For most of us that live and play in this ruggedly beautiful and remote part of the world, having the latest medical diagnostic tools in nearby Granby brings a sigh of relief.

“We’ve continued to grow and show our community that they can have confidence in us,” says Bohlender.

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