Thursday, December 17, 2015

Aspen, Colorado - A Skiing and Cultural Destination for Decades


Over the course of a career spanning several decades, accomplished cardiovascular surgeon Terry McEnany, MD, held prominent positions at medical facilities across the country. Currently, Dr. Terry McEnany divides his time between Boston and Aspen, Colorado, where he serves as a ski instructor at the Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen.

A skiing and outdoor recreation destination for decades, Aspen first made its mark on the skiing world in 1950, when the community hosted the United States’ first world skiing competition. That event and others that followed showcased Aspen’s unique and difficult mountain terrain and helped elevate the area’s status as an international destination for both skiers and cultural enthusiasts.

Over the years, Aspen continued to expand its ski territory and attract visitors from around the world. Today, the town remains a top destination for not only skiing but also art, music, and education. Modern visitors travel to Aspen to enjoy such events as the Alpine Skiing World Cup, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Winter X Games, which will be held there every year through 2019.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Determining Your Skiing Skill Level


A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Terry McEnany, MD, practiced thoracic and cardiovascular surgery for nearly 25 years, and he has a second career as a ski instructor at Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen, Colorado. Operating out of Aspen Snowmass ski resort, Terry McEnany and his fellow instructors help aspiring skiers of all ages and skill levels hone their skills on the slopes.

Before deciding which ski lessons to register for, it’s best to first determine your personal skill level. Aspen Snowmass classifies beginners, who fall into levels 1-3, as individuals who have either never skied or who can only ski on green terrain. Beginner ski students learn to come to a stop, change direction, and link turns on green terrain. Level 4 skiers, or advanced beginners, can ski on all green terrain as well as easy blue slopes, while intermediate skiers can take on the majority of groomed blue areas. Intermediate skiers are able to ski parallel and perform a hockey stop before gaining experience on small bumps and easy, groomed black terrain. By level 7, intermediate skiers should be able to use their poles to make parallel turns and are prepared to take on ungroomed black slopes.

Advanced or expert skiers fall into levels 7-9 and are generally well equipped to explore all black terrain, as well as easy double-black slopes. They have learned to make rhythmic short radius turns on both groomed and ungroomed blue and black terrain, and should eventually be comfortable skiing on all areas of the mountain while honing their speed and technical skills.                              

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Mass General App Could Provide Faster, Cheaper Tumor Diagnoses


Dr. Terry McEnany has over 30 years of experience as a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. Early in his medical career, Terry McEnany, MD, completed a surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General), where he also served as chief resident and a staff surgeon.

The first teaching hospital of Harvard University, Mass General has been at the forefront of medical care and research since its founding in 1811. However, not all doctors and hospitals have access to such progressive resources. Advanced screening technology is prohibitively expensive for many healthcare providers, and countless individuals in rural areas lack the resources to access specialty care. In response, a team of Mass General investigators set out to develop a smartphone-based platform which could quickly, reliably, and cost-effectively diagnose tumors.

The D3 (digital diffraction diagnosis) system simply uses a battery-powered LED light and a high-resolution camera that clips onto standard smartphones to capture images of tissue samples. The tissue samples are treated with a microbead solution that binds to known cancer-related molecules, and the patterns are then analyzed against a numerical algorithm to determine the presence of a tumor. Pilot tests revealed that the D3 system’s accuracy matched current molecular profiling techniques and cost only $1.80 per assay - a rate which is expected to improve as the system is enhanced. Future plans for development involve testing to determine the D3 platform’s ability to analyze markers of other diseases and its feasibility in rural settings and developing countries.