Our Denver Health Employees, Facilities and Technology have received numerous accolades, honors and awards.
NICU Receives the Annie Hall Award (August 2024)
The NICU team has been selected to receive the Annie Hall Award from the DEFINE Colorado Collaborative. DEFINE Colorado (Data-Driven Engagement of Families to Improve the NICU Experience) is a collaborative of providers, NICU staff and parents from 11 Colorado NICUs. As the only essential hospital, Denver Health’s voice in the collaborative (and the data contributed by our NICU parents) has been critical to ensuring that interventions to improve NICU family engagement are structured with health equity in mind, and that meet the needs of diverse populations.
Annie Hall was a beloved, young, Colorado neonatologist who passed away in 2021 from breast cancer. Several of our clinicians worked with and/or were taught by her. The Annie Hall Award is given annually to the “individual, team, or organization who has shown outstanding work and commitment to centering families in their caring of pregnant people and infants.”
Specific work being called out by this award includes: the Safe Sleep QI project, the work of PFAC (which includes the upcoming NICU patient reunion and establishing parent advocates on the committee), our dedicated lactation support, work on the discharge team by Liz Pendy, RN, and Annie Kay, PNP, pioneering work Karlee McCoy, PsyD, as our former IMH psychologist, the rededication of the Robin’s Nest for our families, and our care team’s continued commitment to family-centered rounding. The award comes with an unrestricted $500 gift for the NICU to use as they see fit to support these and other projects that help improve the experience of our Denver Health families.
Denver Health Chief Information Security Officer named 2023 CISO of the Year by Colorado Technology Association (March 2024)
Randall Frietzsche, Denver Health’s Chief Information Security Officer, received the Colorado Technology Association’s 2023 CISO of the Year APEX Award. The APEX Awards brings the community together to celebrate the exceptional people, companies and accomplishments of 2023. Recipients of the APEX Awards lead the way for Colorado tech, according to the award’s website. Frietzsche received the award during the CTA’s Colorado Tech Summit on Friday, March 8, 2024.
“The most rewarding part of my job is taking care of our patients—making sure that they’re safe and we protect their information,” Frietzsche said during an interview with CTA. “Helping others is really, for me, the best part of my job.”
Denver Health receives “Million Hearts” recognition (September 2023)
Denver Health was honored with the “Million Hearts” recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Denver Health was recognized for its work, commitment and successes in keeping patients, its workforce and community heart-healthy through well-being initiatives, nutrition education, tobacco cessation, cardiology services, and ensuring health equity for underserved populations. Million Hearts is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2027 and focuses on implementing evidence-based priorities and targets to improve cardiovascular health for all.
Denver Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology honored as Celebrate 6 Award for Breastfeeding Excellence in 2023 (June 2023)
The Denver Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology was the recipient of the Celebrate 6 Award for Breastfeeding Excellence in 2023. This award recognizes birthing facilities that have implemented evidence-based policies and practices known to increase breastfeeding success and improve maternal and infant health outcomes. In Colorado, 90% of mothers choose to start breastfeeding. Research shows that by implementing at least 6 of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the birthing facility will better support the vast majority of Colorado mothers to not only start breastfeeding, but also enable them to breastfeed longer, resulting in more long term health benefits to both mother and child. Denver Health is proud to have received this recognition and is dedicated to supporting the lactation needs of all our patients.
Denver Health ranked No. 2 in US among academic medical centers (May 2023)
The Lown Institute recently ranked Denver Health among the most socially responsible hospitals in the nation for the third straight year. The Index "measures traditional metrics such as outcomes and patient safety, while adding new metrics like racial inclusivity, pay equity, and community investment to create a holistic evaluation of social responsibility." Last week, the health care research nonprofit released its rankings for the most socially responsible academic medical centers, and Denver Health was the best in Colorado and No. 2 in America, placing behind only St. Luke's University Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A huge thanks to the more than 8,100 employees of Denver Health for your dedication to keeping our health care system a beacon for health equity, value of care and outcomes.
Denver Health among America's Best Addiction Treatment Centers (May 2023)
Denver Health was recognized by Newsweek on Wednesday as one of America's Best Addiction Treatment Centers for 2023. Newsweek recognized 360 of the leading addiction treatment facilities in the U.S., based on a national online survey of over 4,000 medical professionals in the addiction treatment industry and accreditation data provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Participants were asked to rate the quality of: care, follow-up care, service, and accommodations and amenities. Newsweek said the ranking reinforces Denver Health's reputation as a facility that provides benchmark-leading care and excellent services.
Denver Health wins Data Star Award for first two quarters of year (2023)
Healthy Business Certified Leader (2019)
Denver Health has been recognized by Health Links™ as a Healthy Business Leader. This certification recognizes that Denver Health has met an evidence-based set of benchmarks and promotes our organization as a champion for health, safety and well-being in the industry and community. Our vision is to create a thriving organizational culture of workplace well-being which focus on four key areas to include Physical & Environmental, Social & Community, Mental & Emotional, and Financial.
Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact (2019)
In 2019, The a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded Denver Health with Platinum Status in the Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact. The Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact is an agreement between Colorado hospitals to protect and promote the health of patients, families, visitors, and employees by improving the nutritional environment. Denver Health is continuously improving the nutritional offerings by way of healthier food, beverages, marketing, and breastfeeding support to create a culture and organization that promotes health and wellbeing. The Platinum designation was only given to three Colorado hospitals and is the highest level of recognition given. Denver Health is proud to be involved with this program which supports our vision to make Denver the healthiest community in the United States.
Denver Health believes in a healthy community, and we proudly serve only healthier beverages to support the well-being of our patients, visitors, and staff.
Breastfeeding Friendly Employer (May 2019)
Denver Health is a Breastfeeding Friendly Employer! Denver Health was recognized by Denver Public Health Institute and the Advancing Breastfeeding in Colorado project on May 16, 2019. Interested in learning more about becoming a breastfeeding friendly? Learn how from Denver Public Health Institute.
Breastfeeding Friendly Employers are in compliance with the 2008 Colorado Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers Act which includes:
- Written lactation policies or guidelines
- Flexibility for employees to schedule breaks and work
- Patterns to breastfeed or express breastmilk, and
- Private space to breastfeed or express breastmilk