Meghan Gallegos has been named the third recipient of the Vail Health Elevate Award. Based at the Vail Health Hospital location of Howard Head Sports Medicine, Gallegos was nominated by Phillip Montville, a National Ski Patrol Instructor Trainer, Professional Ski Instructors of America Education Staff Examiner emeritus, and retired National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician. During the past 10 years, Gallegos has served as the lead physical therapist throughout Montville’s recovery of eight reconstructive hip surgeries, which were caused by a rare genetic disorder. To nominate Vail Health, Colorado Mountain Medical, Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, Howard Head Sports Medicine and Shaw Cancer Center staff, visit www.VailHealth.org/ElevateAward

Often the first place women can encounter opioid medications, and thus the potential for opioid addiction, is in the hospital while having their first child. To actively combat the opioid crisis in our community, Vail Health's Family Birth Center implemented a new strategy and medication plan to help new mothers use less opioid medication while also reducing the pain of vaginal or cesarean births. Kirsten Conner speaks with Z McDaniel, Director of the Family Birth Center, for all the details.

Alix Wilkinson, member of the US Ski Team, suffered a big injury skiing in Chile this year. Now on the road to recovery, Alix talks about how essential it is to have Howard Head Sports Medicine physical therapists day in and day out to help her and her teammates.