Foothills Hospital: A destination hospital for your aging family members

‘For its size, BCH offers a remarkably advanced hospital.’

There is no segment of American industry undergoing as much change as health care. One of those changes has been a surge in older adults choosing to leave the comfort of their homes and seek high-quality medical treatment closer to the support provided by their children or other family. This trend has brought many older adults who live elsewhere but have family in Boulder County to Foothills Hospital for care.

Considered one of the most sophisticated hospitals in the state, Foothills Hospital is a destination hospital for the latest minimally invasive cardiac and vascular surgery, spine surgery and orthopedic surgery—many performed with robotic-assisted technology—making it the perfect place for elderly family members to receive top-quality care.

“For its size, BCH offers a remarkably advanced hospital,” says Joel Montbriand, whose 87-year-old mother, Carole, traveled from Naples, Florida, to Foothills Hospital for treatment of a fairly severe heart valve problem. “Patients can receive high-quality, state-of-the-art services and be well supported by a distinguished team of doctors.”

Seeking care for elderly parents

Carole’s cardiologist in Naples noticed that she was getting short of breath and ordered an echocardiogram (echo). The echo showed she had severe aortic stenosis, which is when the heart's aortic valve narrows. He recommended she get a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which would require spending time in a hospital and several days recovery after the procedure.

A widow, Carole lives by herself and doesn’t have family or a network of friends in Naples to lean on for help.

“She asked for my advice, and I told her I’d look into what’s available here in Boulder,” Joel says. He called BCH’s Boulder Heart and learned that Srini Iyengar, MD, who performs procedures at Foothills Hospital, is one of the most experienced TAVR doctors in the nation. “I said that’s great, because I really want to be there when Mom has this done, to be her support system and part of her rehabilitation.”

Joel shared what he learned with Carole, and she was interested. “A Boulder Heart nurse set everything up. My mom flew out here, had her initial appointment, had some tests, and they set her up for the procedure a week later,” says Joel.

Everything went smoothly. Carole was an inpatient at Foothills Hospital for three days, recovered at Joel’s house, went back for follow up two weeks later and was cleared to go home.

“It worked really well. It really did,” Joel continues. “She experienced great, well-coordinated care. It was all well thought out, making it easy for her to transition back to her cardiologist in Florida.”

Then there’s Louisville resident Mike Jefferies, whose father-in-law lives in Lawrence, Kansas. Najabat Abbasi was in his early 80s and needed a heart valve replacement but could not risk open-heart surgery. Najabat too had tests that indicated he would benefit from TAVR.

“He was going to go to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City for this procedure, but it would have been a lot for my mother-in-law to drive 50 miles each way for the various appointments. Having family out here to help with pre- and post-procedure appointments, as well as recovery support, was really attractive for him,” says Mike.

Mike made some calls on his father-in-law’s behalf. “Boulder Heart made it really easy. They got all his information and images from his physician in Kansas. By the time he had his first visit, Dr. Iyengar had already seen all his images and reports and knew where things stood.”

Mike continues, “This is an area of treatment where Foothills Hospital absolutely excels, so he felt he could get better care and have support from his family.”

A beautiful place to receive medical care

Another important benefit that comes with having a procedure at Foothills Hospital is its beautiful Boulder location that it can be a source of calm and peace for patients. “It’s a beautiful medical facility. You look out the window and see the mountains and the green space,” Joel says. “If my mom had gone to the hospital in Naples, it’s an old, aging facility in a commercial district with no views. Foothills Hospital stacks up very nicely as a place you can feel comfortable in.”