Mountaintop Medicine

A foot injury she sustained while training for the Boston Marathon changed the trajectory of Dr. Jamie Mieras’ career. She did not start out to become a healer. The Boulder native went to school at The University of Colorado for a degree in Biology with an emphasis on plant studies. She moved to Seattle and worked as an IT administrator for a time. That’s when she got into running, one of her big...

Estes Park Health has two new faces in the emergency department – Dr. Paige Machado and Dr. Zachary Blea. They work for Estes Park Emergency Associates, a small company started about 30 years ago by Dr. Christoper Daley. They contract to staff the emergency room at EPH. Dr. Paige Machado When Paige Machado was a little girl, her family could see her future. “My parents like to joke that I wanted t...

Michael Morton recently underwent a pulmonary function test at Estes Park Health. The 75-year-old Estes Park retiree was hospitalized in 2023 when one of his lungs filled with fluid. He’s recovered now, but his doctor wants to check his lung function. “My pulmonary physician decided he wanted to see how my breathing was doing,” Morton said. “It’s just a test to follow up and make sure I’m still do...

Dr. Jennifer McLellan took on the job of medical Chief of Staff at Estes Park Health on January 1st. She is the third woman in a row and the third woman ever to hold this leadership position. She takes over from Dr. Bridget Dunn who served in the role in 2023 and 2024. Before Dr. Dunn, Dr. Robyn Zehr served in the role. “I am essentially the lead physician for all the physicians who are medical st...

The newest piece of equipment in the Diagnostic Imaging department of Estes Park Health was bought through the generous fundraising campaign of the 2024 Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo candidates. The ten candidates for Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo raised a record-breaking amount of money. Altogether, these volunteers gathered more than $118,000 to fund a brand-new ultrasound machine for the hospital. This technology wi...

When people stay in the hospital after injury, illness, or surgery, the Occupational Therapist (OT) is the professional who makes sure these patients can go home and get around their house again. The OT has a very practical job: making sure people can cook, clean, shower, get dressed, and many other activities of daily living. Inna Wines is the newest inpatient OT on the medical/surgical unit at E...

Funds will help buy new cardiac ultrasound machine Carolyne Boettger of Estes Park recently had an important test at Estes Park Health. It’s a cardiac ultrasound, also known as echocardiography. Carolyne has atrial fibrillation. Her doctors are monitoring her condition to see if there are any changes. “I know when I go into A-fib,” she remarked “You can tell that it’s an irregular heartbeat. It’s...

Estes Park Health Rehabilitation Services is adding hours and expanding services to meet the needs of the Estes Valley Community. The Rehab center at 420 Steamer Drive next to Urgent Care is now open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “By extending our hours Monday through Thursday, we hope to accommodate patients who need appointments later in the da...

Amanda Ericson is Estes Park Health’s new registered dietitian. She joined the EPH team in August of 2024. Ericson helps patients in and out of the hospital. “A registered dietitian provides education and counseling to patients regarding their nutrition needs and to understand how to adapt their eating patterns to accommodate their new diet or restrictions.” Ericson was a baker for many years. She...

Along with traditional yearly mammograms and the occasional ultrasound test, women at risk of breast cancer can also be screened with a sophisticated machine called Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI. Estes Park Health is adding breast MRIs as a new service in the Diagnostic Imaging Department. Technologists use the same machine outfitted with a special breast coil to help create pristine images o...

In an effort to control health care costs and improve quality of care for Medicaid patients, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing is overseeing the Hospital Transformation Program (HTP). Estes Park Health is one of 76 hospitals in Colorado taking part in this state endeavor. Certified Nurse Case Manager Leah Smith is one of a handful of people on the Estes Park Health team...

Donors can give at the hospital every three months Blood is essential for life. It’s an elemental medical component for which there is no substitute. That’s why blood donor drives are so important. Estes Park Health teams up with the UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center once each quarter to host a blood drive at the hospital. Professionals from Fort Collins bring all the equipment they need to make...

Estes Park Health’s newest specialist to care for patients at EPH is Connie Wolf, M.D., a urologist who offers both medicinal and surgical interventions. “I’m super excited to be up here,” Dr. Wolf stressed. “Everyone at the hospital has been so welcoming and warm. It’s got a really nice close-knit small-town feel. I can’t wait to meet the patients.” Dr. Wolf will see patients every other Tuesday...

When Estes Park Health decided to close its home health and in-home hospice department in December of 2023, the hospital’s medical social workers stepped in to help patients and their families find the help they need. “I would say the number of people we help has increased,” noted EPH Chief Nursing Officer Pat Samples. “The reality is every person’s journey is different. Part of our vision here is...

Darin Workman recently moved from Kansas to Colorado. The 59-year-old Estes Park man enjoys hiking and fishing, but pain in his hip has been keeping him from many of the activities he loves. He’s a retired tennis coach and music teacher who really wants to feel better. “I’ve had lots of pain,” Workman said. “There’s just no cartilage there. It’s bone on bone.” Workman turned to Estes Park Health o...

Congratulations to 2024 Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo, Elena Nedobukh! What an amazing campaign by Elena and a really extraordinary group of Crowns for the Care candidates, a record-setting year supporting cancer care at Estes Park Health.

Stan Havlick of Estes Park is a self-described adventurer, speaker, and philanthropist. He has visited every continent around the globe in his 80 years. He’s an active retiree, but a recent pain in his abdomen sent him to the doctor for help. “For a number of months, I had some discomfort in the lower abdomen,” Havlick explained. “I was talking to a doctor friend. He did a little probe and said, ‘...

Estes Park resident Jän Rigby is getting ready for a quick, painless test at Estes Park Health that will yield a wealth of information about his lung health. A low dose lung CT (computed tomography) scan can show radiologists if there are any signs of lung cancer. ‘I’m getting a low dose CT scan of my lungs as ordered by my physician so that they can have a baseline for my lungs because I’m a heav...

Many people look at a problem and say, “I wish I could help, but I’m just one person.” Stan Havlick wanted to help cancer patients. He went out and did it. “My first wife had acute lymphocytic leukemia,” Havlick explained. “I was motivated to do something. I don’t have a medical background, but I do have a business background. I went to Dr. Bill Robinson who lived in Eldorado Springs at that time....

When Chuck Varilek is a retired teacher who continues to pursue his love of music by conducting the Estes Park Village Band the Estes Park Jazz Big Band. A recent slip on a patch of ice during a routine morning walk left him with a painful shoulder injury. “I took a fall and messed up my shoulder and it ended up being I destroyed my rotator cuff amongst other things, so I’m getting those repaired,...

When it comes to providing pain relief and sedation, Estes Park Health’s advanced practice nurses called CRNAs are a critical part of the healthcare team. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists have a nursing degree, experience in critical care, and a specialized degree to practice anesthesia. The highly educated CRNA team at EPH has 40 years of experience between them. Kaycee Simon is Estes Park...

The hip joint is one of the largest joints in the body and is a major weight-bearing joint. When arthritis, inflammation or injury impacts the hip, there are a myriad of interventions doctors can use to help. “For many people, the thought is that the hip is anywhere from the rib cage all the way down to the knee,” said Dr. Gavin Bishop, Estes Park Health orthopedic surgeon. “That is where we think...

Knee pain is an extremely common medical problem that can be caused by injury, wear and tear or arthritis. There are many approaches physicians can take to fix knee issues, from minor treatments to major surgery. “The knee joint, even though it is a hinge joint, is a fairly complex joint that has a lot of different anatomical parts to it that can be fairly complicated,” explained Estes Park Health...

When you think of healing, life-affirming colors, you think of rich greens and beautiful blue hues. That’s what muralist Michael Young thought when he looked at a plain wall on the second floor waiting room of Estes Park Health and dreamed of something more, something beautiful. “A hospital is just like banks and pharmacies,” Young noted. “They’re all brown, which is fine. That’s what you have to...

Ronald Gruber, 83, of Estes Park needs a Lupron injection every three months. After his prostate cancer diagnosis three years ago, he underwent radiation. His doctor suggested he start this therapy to help control his PSA level. He comes to Estes Park Health to receive this hormone therapy. EPH is close to home and provides everything Gruber needs for this treatment. “It’s a lot handier,” Gruber s...