Reginald Washington, MD, Class of 1975
Distinguished Achievement Award 2023
This award is given to those members (current or past) of the association who are MD graduates of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and who have made outstanding achievements benefiting their communities, the practice of medicine, the provision of health care, our association and/or the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Reginald Washington, MD was Chief Medical Officer at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children and clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Science Center prior to his retirement.
From a young age, Dr. Washington nurtured a keen interest in science, tinkering with his chemistry set, raising tropical fish and experimenting with a microscope. These interests were further supported by an invaluable high school teacher that offered mentorship and advice on future career prospects.
Dr. Washington went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Colorado State University before obtaining his MD at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1975. Feeling drawn to the challenge and reward of working with children, Dr. Washington completed his residency and post-graduate training in pediatric cardiology at CU Anschutz, after which he was offered the role of Chief Resident. It was during this time that he also began work at Children’s Hospital, before leaving to join the brand-new Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children’s Pediatric Cardiology department in 1990, where he would eventually be appointed Medical Director.
Over his career, Dr. Washington has published over seventy articles in peerreview publications, on subjects running the gamut from pediatric cardiology to sports medicine, and everything in between. Outside his work in the hospital, Dr. Washington is an involved community member. He has served two terms on the National American Heart Association board of directors. He was also a member of the Expert Committee on Obesity, co-chairman of the Task Force on Obesity and chairman of the Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Beyond medicine, he has also served on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Board (DCPA), on the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Board, as Chairman of the Temple Buell Foundation, as Chairman of the CSU Board of Governors, and on the Regis University Board. He is also a member of the National Council on Youth Sports Safety.
Mentorship is a value he holds dear, so Dr. Washington has continued supporting young Black professionals interested in the healthcare field, providing guidance throughout their careers.