The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has received a $120 million gift, the largest private philanthropic commitment in its history, to further elevate its stature as one of the country’s top medical destinations.

The Anschutz Foundation and its founder and chair, Philip Anschutz, made the unprecedented commitment to accelerate the campus’s growth and development as one of the newest and most prominent academic medical campuses in the United States, the only one in the Rocky Mountain region, and the largest from Chicago to the West Coast. This gift brings The Anschutz Foundation’s total investment in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to nearly $300 million since 2000.

Anschutz gift fuels innovation

The gift will support strategic faculty recruitment and retention, innovative research efforts, industry partnerships and technology transfer, and a new 390,000-square-foot interdisciplinary Anschutz Health Sciences Building. The university will break ground later this year on the new building, which will house faculty leaders in mental and behavioral health including the CU Department of Psychiatry, as well as the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine, the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, classrooms, exhibit space and more.

“We are proud partners in the development of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and share an ambitious vision for further elevating it among the country’s top medical destinations,” said Mr. Anschutz. “The campus stands as a Colorado landmark and a hub of leading-edge research, innovation and education – and, perhaps most importantly, as the place to go for the highest-quality health care delivered by the best minds in medicine.”

“With this commitment, Mr. Anschutz and the leadership of The Anschutz Foundation are excited to help rapidly transform medicine and health care, not only in Colorado but across the region and beyond,” said Executive Director of The Anschutz Foundation Ted Harms. “We have a shared vision for propelling the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus even higher among the best medical campuses in the United States, and by investing in key strategic areas, we will make that vision a reality.”

Transforms health care

“Philip Anschutz and The Anschutz Foundation are helping lead a visionary transformation of health care in Colorado and beyond,” said CU President Bruce D. Benson. “This gift, combined with their previous commitments, goes a long way toward ensuring the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is one of the leading medical care, research and education facilities in the world.”

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Chancellor Donald M. Elliman Jr. said the commitment from The Anschutz Foundation “enables us to fully capitalize on the momentum we have seen on this campus since our beginnings here just 17 years ago.”

“Our growth has been exponential and shows no signs of slowing, due in large part to The Anschutz Foundation’s longstanding partnership and this new commitment,” Elliman said.

“Among our initial opportunities are attracting and retaining top talent in key areas including personalized medicine, novel therapeutics and immunotherapy, and mental and behavioral health,” said CU School of Medicine Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs John J. Reilly Jr., MD.

Advances personalized medicine

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital President and CEO Will Cook said he is particularly hopeful about the impact this gift will have on recruiting and retaining top faculty who help deliver excellent patient care. “UCHealth and University of Colorado Hospital partner with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to leverage research and innovative treatments like immunotherapy to transform the future of health care. This historic donation will enable the nationally recognized physicians from the CU School of Medicine to continue inventing the health care treatments of tomorrow, helping deliver the very best outcomes for patients throughout the Rocky Mountain region.”

“New discoveries in the realm of personalized medicine and novel therapeutics are rapidly changing the pediatric health care landscape,” said Children’s Hospital Colorado President and CEO Jena Hausmann. “This generous gift infuses valuable resources into that work and will translate into more effective, highly tailored treatments for children battling a range of illnesses and diseases.”

In addition to funding bright minds in research, education and clinical care, the campus will dedicate philanthropic funds to invest in CU Innovations, a new approach to technology transfer launched in 2016 to facilitate the translation of science and innovation into marketable products and services that improve lives.

“Our proud history of innovation has led to important new discoveries, and through CU Innovations, we are capitalizing on our deeply rooted entrepreneurial spirit by connecting University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus inventors with innovators and industry partners who can take their breakthroughs to market,” said Elliman.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the only comprehensive academic health sciences center in Colorado, the largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountain region and one of the newest education, research and patient care facilities in the world. Home to 21,000 employees, more than 4,300 degree-seeking students and two nationally ranked hospitals, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus trains the health sciences workforce of the future and fuels the economy, with more than $3.9 billion in annual economic impact. Skilled physicians and providers at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado see 2 million patient visits each year, caring for people and families of all ages from across the state of Colorado and around the region. Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the top 10 children’s hospitals in the U.S., and University of Colorado Hospital is ranked among the top 25 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

About UCHealth

UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth combines Longs Peak Hospital, Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, UCHealth Medical Group, Broomfield Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Yampa Valley Medical Center, Pikes Peak Regional Hospitaland University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. With more than 100 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation.

About Children’s Hospital Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado is a leading pediatric network 100 percent dedicated to the health and well-being of children, adolescents and young adults. Consistently acknowledged as one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado is recognized nationally and internationally for its medical, research, education and advocacy programs. It is at the forefront of research in childhood disease and pioneering treatments that are shaping the future of pediatrics, as well as offering everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Founded in 1908, Children’s Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Metro Denver and Southern Colorado, including its location on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Scheduled to open in Spring 2019, the new Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs will be the first pediatric-only hospital in southern Colorado. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media coverage on The Anschutz Foundation gift:

Denver Post, Aug. 21:

Anschutz Foundation pledges $120M gift to University of Colorado medical campus

The University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus on Tuesday announced a $120 million gift that school leaders say will help them recruit more physicians and scientists to the growing Aurora medical campus.

9 News, Aug. 21:

CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus receives $120M gift from Phil Anschutz, The Anschutz Foundation

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus announced Tuesday that it has received a $120 million gift from The Anschutz Foundation and its founder and chair, Philip Anschutz. The gift is the largest commitment in the history of the Anschutz Medical Campus.

Denver Business Journal, Aug. 21:

Here’s where Philip Anschutz’s next $120M donation to University of Colorado medical campus is going 

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has received its single largest donation in history from the foundation that carries its name.

More about the CU Anschutz Medical Campus:

Learn more about the history of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus here.

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Guest Contributor: This report was written by Trisha Kendall, director of communications, Office of Advancement.