Telluride Med Center: Local Women Go High

20 Nov Telluride Med Center: Local Women Go High

A group of local women purchase new medical equipment and fund behavioral health program in program founded by Kate Wadley, executive director, Telluride Medical Center Foundation.

Kate Wadley remembers when a local women’s philanthropy movement was just an idea that kept her up at night. Today, she and the Telluride Regional Medical Center have Wadley and a generous group of women she put together to thank for two new pieces of equipment and a behavioral health grant.

“Telluride Women Give,” the giving circle created by Wadley, the Telluride Medical Center Foundation’s executive director, is built around Wadley’s intuition that local women were hungry for ways to collaborate to create positive change.

“Women are motivated to share a connection, work together, and have fun,” Wadley explained.

Since the first meeting was held in June of 2015 the group has grown to just over 50 members.

Using the power of collective philanthropy, members’ annual contributions are pooled and the group votes to decide which program, project, or new equipment at the Telluride Regional Medical Center will be funded.

This week Wadley announced the giving circle approved their first substantial purchase of equipment for the medical center: a colposcopy machine to expand the medical center’s women’s specific diagnostic capabilities and an osteopathic exam table to accommodate the medical center’s newest primary care provider, Dr. Christine Mahoney.

Part of Dr. Mahoney’s full-spectrum osteopathic family medicine practice includes osteopathic manipulation used to treat many conditions such as painful periods, chronic lung disease, headaches, musculoskeletal pain, TMJ, or newborns with poor feeding.

Dr. Christine Mahoney

The osteopathic manipulation table is more comfortable for patients and will allow Dr. Mahoney to use a broader range of manipulation techniques.

“Telluride Women Give” members also voted unanimously to dedicate $10,000 to the medical center’s nascent behavioral health program, which will be used to expand wellness counseling and services aimed to help patients manage depression, anxiety, substance abuse, insomnia, and eating disorders.

Membership is open to anyone willing to commit a minimum of a $250 annually and includes special presentations and opportunities to socialize and discuss programs and equipment needing support.

“These efforts support innovative, life-saving services and technology. This group actually makes a difference for those we know and love,” said Wadley.“So, when women give, everyone wins.”

More about Telluride Medical Center:

Telluride Regional Medical Center provides the highest quality, comprehensive Primary Care and exceptional Emergency / Trauma Services. Since 1978 the medical center has evolved, wherever possible, right along with complex healthcare technologies and population growth while remaining within the 10,000-square-foot remodeled residential building, built in the 1960s.

Currently the Telluride Hospital District is working to secure a site for a new facility to serve the needs of the region today, tomorrow and fifty years into the future.