You’re the Difference. Here, it’s different. But nothing is possible at Children’s Hospital Colorado without your support. This year, you helped kids in big ways.
Myers, Children’s Hospital Colorado patient
“Life is not about me but about us.” — M AYA , A G E 12
I think that Maya is exactly right: there is no “me” at Children’s Hospital Colorado, only “us” and what we can do together. I am pleased to share with you this report filled with recent incredible milestones that highlight the world-class care, lifesaving discoveries and organizational excellence that are the hallmarks of Children’s Colorado. From the strategic use of data to make enterprise-wide decisions to the caring touch of a nurse and reassuring smile of a social worker, every component—large and small—comes together to create our brand of family-centered care. Thank you for helping us to achieve these milestones, all of which are made possible because of generous donors, like you, who share our belief that together, we’re better. On behalf of Maya and the more than 225,000 patients we serve every year, thank you for your partnership. Together, we will continue to make a difference for kids.
With gratitude,
Jennifer Roe Darling President and CEO Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
Through Estate Plans, Donors Bring Unprecedented Hope to Kids with Brain Tumors Many people want to leave a legacy in their will. For two donors, the legacy will last for lifetimes. A combined gift from the Estate of Elaine Sas and the William Ruffer Trust recently established the Dr. Nicholas Foreman Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research. This chair brings great hope to children with rare brain tumors for the first time in history. While there has been significant progress in the past 15 years for treating and curing many types of brain tumors, rare sub-types continue to be fatal. Dr. Rajeev Vibhakar is determined to change that. Dr. Vibhakar is the Director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He also has a robust research program that studies the genetic mechanisms by which normal brain cells become cancerous and how these genetic differences can be used to better treat children with brain tumors.
RAJEEEV VIBHAKAR, MD, PHD, MPH/MSPH
He and his team are on the brink of a breakthrough for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), the only brain tumor with less than 1% survival rate that occurs in children ages 3 and younger. As inaugural chairholder, Dr. Vibhakar has the time and resources to pursue a cure for these lethal tumors.
“Philanthropy will allow us to do more studies to identify potential drug targets to treat high grade brain tumors like DIPG, ATRT and medulloblastoma. ” – RAJEEV VIBHAKAR, MD
Visionary Foundation Helps Colorado Kids to Have Healthy Futures ALLISON KEMPE, MD
At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we have a bold vision to improve the health of all children. Generous donors enable Children’s Colorado to conduct innovative research and outreach programs that promote healthier futures for kids. The Ergen Family Endowed Chair aims to improve the health of children across Colorado through evidence-based interventions and programs. The Ergen Family funded this Chair to support research that studies real-time clinical interventions, as well as advocacy and education efforts in this field. Inaugural Chairholder Allison Kempe, MD, brings unique qualifications to make a widespread impact on pediatric health outcomes. Dr. Kempe will lead a broad range of initiatives for kids across Colorado who have varying levels of access to quality health care. Through the Ergen Family Endowed Chair, all kids have a greater chance of healthier, happier futures.
Research Deepens for Lung and Vascular Diseases Because of Donor Support KURT STENMARK, MD
The La Cache Critical Care Endowed Chair was established thanks to La Cache, a very special consignment shop, and Laura Barton, Foundation Board of Trustee and longtime advocate for Children’s Hospital Colorado.
La Cache is a local consignment shop that is fully staffed by volunteers and has been donating all proceeds to Children’s Colorado since 1982. Their donations total more than $4 million. Laura and La Cache have been very generous for many years to support a variety of areas at Children’s Colorado. The La Cache Critical Care Endowed Chair honors Kurt Stenmark, MD, as chairholder. He’s been the Section Head of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Children’s Colorado since 1987. He is also a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, and Director of the Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratories at the University of Colorado, where he has served as principal investigator in multiple decades-long research projects focused on the treatment of infants, children and adults with pulmonary hypertension. With the establishment of this endowed chair, Dr. Stenmark will be able to ask new questions and pursue innovative therapies to help people of all ages who suffer from severe acute and chronic lung and vascular diseases.
Endowed Chair Recruits Internationally Ranked Developmental Biologist CHRISTIAN MOSIMANN, PhD
How do the heart chambers form during development? This is the question that Christian Mosimann, PhD, will explore at Children’s Hospital Colorado, thanks to donor support.
After an extensive international search, we were able to recruit Dr. Mosimann as inaugural chairholder of The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Chair for the Cardiac Research Director. He has served as an assistant professor at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where he received his PhD. He then completed postdoctoral training at Children’s Hospital Boston’s Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Thanks to this incredible gift, Dr. Mosimann will deepen our understanding of congenital heart disease and help kids with heart conditions to have the best possible outcomes.
“With research dollars dwindling, philanthropy provides us with the accelerant to achieve more and positively impact kid’s lives sooner rather than later.” – S T E P H E N D A N I E L S , M D, P E D I AT R I C I A N - I N - C H I E F L . J O S E P H B U T T E R F I E L D C H A I R I N P E D I AT R I C S C H I L D R E N ’ S H O S P I TA L C O L O R A D O
Donors Create New Worlds for Kids Virtual reality expanded at Children’s Hospital Colorado thanks to a group of entrepreneurial donors called the 2221 Society. The 2221 Society was established in 2018 by like-minded Denver-area leaders who are dedicated to transforming children’s health at Children’s Colorado. Its name honors the hospital’s original location at 2221 Downing Street. In its first year, the 2221 Society raised more than $228,000 for Children’s Colorado, which is leading the country in creative and innovative technologies to enrich patient experience and the delivery of care. We are the only children’s hospital with a full-time gaming technology specialist, who is supported entirely by philanthropy. In 2019, the 2221 Society is supporting Children’s One medical transportation, which is the only full-service pediatric transport team in the region. The program includes brand-new, custom-made ambulances, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with enhanced safety features and technology. The 2221 Society strives to raise enough money to provide one vehicle with the best-in-class equipment and innovative technology.
Donors Help Colorado Kids with Mental Illness At Children’s Colorado, we have stepped up in a bold way for kids who are living with mental illnesses. We have made an organization-wide commitment to offer access to the right care at the right time so mental health problems don’t escalate to emergencies. As of August 2019, donors have contributed more than $15 million for kids who are struggling with mental health challenges. This funding allows us to address the crisis from every angle, from transforming the way mental health care is delivered to expanding our facilities to studying genetics to pinpoint the root cause of mental illness.
Chloe, patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Pediatric Mental Health Institute
Our work continues to need community support and we won’t stop until kids have access to the care they need. For more information about our plans for pediatric mental health, visit PMHI.org.
Bellco Credit Union Gives Back Bellco Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in Colorado and takes great pride in giving back to its community. This year, Bellco presented a gift of $100,000 to Children’s Hospital Colorado Resiliency Initiatives, which provides a variety of support for hospital team members. These initiatives aim to address burnout and compassion fatigue by providing emotional, spiritual and educational resources.
Best-in-Class Care, Closer to Home On July 17, 2019, hundreds of attendees gathered to celebrate a historic moment for southern Colorado kids: the ribbon cutting of our newest hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs. The 294,000-square-foot, 111-bed facility serves as southern Colorado’s first pediatric-only hospital and provides more than 175,000 kids in southern Colorado and surrounding states with pediatric care closer to home. Colorado Springs is a top-ranked city and now the community has a top-ranked children’s hospital. Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs has the region’s first pediatric-only emergency department, with 33 exam rooms and six behavioral health rooms, thanks to the Denver Foundation’s Colorado Health Access Fund. We also provide comprehensive cancer care in Colorado Springs, where kids receive both inpatient and outpatient services. Other features include a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, a pediatric intensive care unit, a sleep study lab, an epilepsy monitoring unit and the region’s first operating rooms built just for kids.
Cecilia, Children’s Hospital Colorado patient
This year, Children’s Hospital Colorado excelled to new levels. These accomplishments are also a recognition of you as the donor. Because nothing is possible without your support.
Recognized Once Again as a Top Children’s Hospital Children’s Hospital Colorado has once again been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top-10 pediatric hospital. For the first time, Children’s Colorado has been ranked in the top 20 in all 10 recognized specialty areas.
Colorado Fetal Care Center Recognized as Center of Excellence The Colorado Fetal Care Center at Children’s Colorado has been designated as a Center of Excellence by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, one of the loftiest accreditations for obstetric anesthesiology care. It’s based on broad criteria, from the experience and qualifications of doctors to the use of evidenced-based protocols and a collaborative team-based approach.
Leadership in Data Analytics Children’s Colorado is one of only four health care systems in the world — and the only children’s hospital in existence — to earn a Level 7 Health Care Information Management Systems Society designation. This means we excel at using data to predict what will happen and what to do about it.
Named One of the Most Innovative Children’s Hospitals by Parents Magazine Children’s Colorado was named one of the 20 most innovative children’s hospitals in the country by Parents magazine, based on survey results from members of the Children’s Hospital Association. Our Center for Innovation has investigated more than 150 ideas since it was established in 2016.
MICHAEL ZARETSKY, MD Medical Director, Colorado Fetal Care Center
5280 Magazine Names 94 Children’s Colorado “Top Docs” 5280 Magazine has once again named more than 90 physicians at Children’s Colorado to its annual “Top Docs” list. The magazine surveys Denver-area doctors and asks them, specialty by specialty, which metroarea physicians they would trust to treat themselves and their families.
Honored with Governor’s Award for Worksite Wellness Children’s Colorado was named the winner of the 2018 Governor’s Award for Worksite Wellness. Each year, the Governor’s Council for Active and Healthy Lifestyles honors organizations that are notable in their efforts to build a culture of health and safety in the workplace.
Children’s Hospital Colorado Nurses Redefine Excellence Amy Lewis, MS, RN, Director, Emergency Services, received the state’s highest honor and was named one of 12 Nightingale Luminaries by the Colorado Nurses Foundation for her work to standardize suicide screenings across Children’s Colorado’s emergency and urgent care departments. With suicide as the leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14 in Colorado, Lewis implemented a systemwide, evidence-based screening tool called Ask Suicide Questions that assesses every patient 10 and older, regardless of the reason for their visit. More than 70,000 patients have now been screened. Cristi Wayne, BSN, RN, CPN, Clinical Nurse III, Neuroscience Institute, was also recognized by the Colorado Nurses Foundation for her work with children with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Wayne developed and sustained this nursing-centered program within the Neuroscience Institute.
AMY LEWIS, MS, RN
CRISTI WAYNE, BSN, RN, CPN
Anschutz Medical Campus 13123 E. 16th Avenue, Box 045 Aurora, CO 80045
Here, it’s different. You’re the Difference. Thank you for bringing Children’s Hospital Colorado to new heights.
ChildrensColoradoFoundation.org 20–03-DR-News-Accomplishments
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 3978