A Look Back at 2012 at Children's Colorado

We've been busy at Children's Colorado and, as year-end traditions go, we've compiled our top accomplishments for 2012.  

Provided access to care for more patients

South Campus

This year, we broke ground and "topped out" construction on our South Campus in Highlands Ranch. Slated to open at the end of 2013, the South Campus will offer a wide range of expert pediatric care including outpatient specialty, inpatient and surgery care along with state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic services. Children's Colorado expects to host nearly 80,000 patient visits at the South Campus during its first year. The approximately 175,000-square-foot facility will be located on 22 acres of land at the corner of Plaza Drive and Lucent Blvd., south of C-470. 

Outpatient Specialty Care, Colorado Springs

In June, Children's Colorado opened the 50,000-square-foot facility in Colorado Springs and began offering a wide range of pediatric specialty care services including audiology and speech-language therapy, cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, orthopedics, pulmonology, as well as genetics, metabolic, radiology and lab services.

Broomfield Therapy Center

In July, Children's Colorado began seeing patients in the new Broomfield Therapy Center. Previously located on 103rd Avenue in Westminster, Colo., the new 20,000-square-foot facility includes expanded speech-language, learning and physical therapy services, as well as comprehensive audiology services and a sensory park.

East Tower

In September, we opened our 355,000-sq.-ft. East Tower addition on our hospital on Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. 

The East Tower will allow the hospital to expand a number of its other specialty care services including the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Heart Institute, Orthopedics Institute, Neurosciences Institute, Digestive Health Institute, Breathing Institute and Intensive Care, among others.

Children's Colorado at Memorial Hospital

Through a partnership with University of Colorado Health, Oct. 1, Memorial Hospital for Children became Children's Colorado at Memorial Hospital, providing greater access to more pediatric services for the people of Colorado Springs and the Southern Colorado region.

Received national awards and recognition

In 2012, we humbly accepted several national awards that recognized our talented faculty and staff. This year, U.S. News & World Report again ranked Children's Colorado on its honor roll of best children's hospitals in the nation; 5280 magazine named 103 Children's Colorado physicians to its annual "Top Docs" listing; and the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility. Read more about these awards and other honors at Children's Colorado.

Celebrated five years on the Anschutz Medical Campus

September marked the five-year anniversary of Children's Colorado's move to the Anschutz Medical Campus. Since that September 2007 move, Children's Colorado has seen a 60% increase in the size of its medical staff, a 36% inpatient volume increase and a greater than 50% growth in its number of annual outpatient visits.

MyChart gave patients direct access to electronic medical record

Children's Colorado is proud to offer MyChart, a program that allows direct access to portions of a patient's electronic medical record. MyChart offers secure, online access to Children's Colorado health records from mychart.childrenscolorado.org. MyChart can access a patient's medications, immunizations, allergies and test results. Those who sign up for the free service may send and receive secure messages with their healthcare team, request prescription refills or renewals, request appointments and view appointment details.

FDA approved Kalydeco to treat rare form of cystic fibrosis

This year, Children's Colorado, home of one of the largest cystic fibrosis (CF) centers in the country, helped lead a major breakthrough in the treatment of CF. Kalydeco, the first drug that treats the underlying causes of CF, recently gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Children's Colorado participated in early research and drug trials for Kalydeco.

Made outcomes, quality and safety information available online

As part of our commitment to excellence in caring for kids, we made quality and patient safety information available online. Data from our hospital and the following clinics is now easily accessible from our website:

• Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
• Heart Institute
• Orthopedics Institute
• Children's Hospital Colorado

Olympian Missy Franklin visited patients

Five-time Olympic medalist Missy Franklin and her STARS teammates came to visit patients and families before the holidays. During the visit, Missy made jokes about musicians Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, autographed photos, and participated in a dance party in our hospital's main atrium.

And last but not least…we had a little fun

On Halloween 2012, staff from all around Children's Colorado gathered in the hospital's atrium to dance to "Thriller" for patients and their families, and visitors. Watch the flash mob!