Dear colleague: 

I want to express our gratitude to The Anschutz Foundation for its pledge of $10 million to establish the National Behavioral Health Innovation Center. This generous gift, announced last Friday, supports the creation of Colorado’s newest center dedicated to improving the mental and behavioral health of people across the state and country. The goal of the center is to identify and implement behavioral health solutions by providing resources and connecting national experts. Matt Vogl, MPH, former deputy director of the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, has been named the center’s executive director. We are grateful for the ongoing philanthropic partnership of the Anschutz Medical Campus with The Anschutz Foundation. 

Philanthropic support is essential to our success and the team in the University’s Office of Advancement has unveiled a newly designed website to heighten awareness of the outstanding work on the Anschutz Medical Campus. The new design offers updated information on how to support big ideas and encourages visitors to learn more about the innovations in education, patient care and research here that support our community. You can find it at supportcuanschutz.ucdenver.edu. 

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, MD ’02, who spent five months aboard the International Space Station, visited our campus last Thursday and Friday, sharing his experience and offering thoughtful advice to medical students and others last Thursday afternoon. On Friday, he visited patients and staff at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Kjell’s descriptions of overcoming obstacles and fulfilling his dreams to become an astronaut were inspiring and the video he presented shows what an amazing experience life on the International Space Station is. 

The Denver Business Journal published a 46-page special section about the Anschutz Medical Campus that offers an excellent overview of the campus and many of the programs and people who make this a wonderful place.

Congratulations to the 15 newly inducted resident and fellow members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, which recognizes individuals who are exemplars of humanistic patient care and who can serve as role models in medicine. The Gold Humanism Honor Society was established in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Board of Trustees. In the past 10 years, the Society has inducted 24,000 members nationally. 

Have a good week, 

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine