Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs Year One

SOUTHERN COLORADO

A Hospital to Call Our Own In May 2019, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs officially opened its doors to the community, giving hundreds of thousands of kids and families in southern Colorado convenient access to world-class pediatric health care.

Kids aren’t small adults, and their health care needs are unique.

When children are hurt or sick, they need specialized equipment, expertise and care. Children’s Colorado is the 6th ranked pediatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Here, every provider is specially trained to care for kids and only kids, and every detail of the facility is designed to deliver the best care to children.

Cecilia, patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs

As southern Colorado’s only dedicated pediatric hospital, Children’s Colorado in Colorado Springs offers a top pediatric cancer and blood disorders program, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a pediatric intensive care unit, a radiology department, a sleep study lab and operating rooms designed just for kids.

The new hospital means kids in southern Colorado can now access the expert care they need, closer to home. That means families can stay together and spend less time in the car, with fewer disruptions to school and work. Ultimately, this eases the emotional and financial burden on families, while helping kids heal faster.

Philanthropy played an important role in opening this new hospital , and it continues to propel Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs into the future. Thank you for helping southern Colorado children get the expert care they need to heal and thrive, right in their own backyard.

Southern Colorado’s First Year by the Numbers

20,200+

96,200+

115

294,000

emergency department visits

outpatient visits

licensed beds including 50 NICU beds

-square-foot state-of-the-art facility devoted to kids

4,000+

80

25%+

1,100+

surgeries in pediatric operating rooms

outpatient specialties

patients are from military families

team members in southern Colorado

Figures account for first year of operations from May 2019—April 2020

Nyssa, patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs

Access to Specialists Helps Nyssa to Thrive Nyssa’s parents were heartbroken to learn that their unborn daughter had Turner Syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality that can cause a wide range of life-threatening medical issues. Nyssa had a less than 2% chance of surviving to fullterm. She was born five weeks early and spent two weeks in the Children’s Colorado Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Nyssa’s challenges didn’t end there. She wasn’t gaining weight, she had blood in her lungs and a sleep test at 18 months revealed that Nyssa’s oxygen levels were dipping to dangerous levels at night. Nyssa was also diagnosed with a heart defect, and she had to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to prevent her airway from collapsing while she slept.

Nyssa was referred to the Turner Syndrome Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she was able to access the expert pediatric specialists she needs to thrive. Initially, Nyssa was treated by multiple departments at Children’s Colorado for her medical challenges, including urology, rheumatology, gastroenterology and pulmonology. But today, Nyssa is doing so well that she only requires occasional check-ups – and she no longer requires a CPAP machine at night!

Nyssa is now a spunky 5-year-old, who loves singing, dancing, playing pretend and making people smile. She started kindergarten in the fall, and she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Nyssa’s father, Nakia, is in the military, so especially when he is deployed, having convenient access to Nyssa’s doctors makes a big difference for Nyssa’s mom, Nicole. Her family is thrilled to have the new Children’s Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs, so they can see Nyssa’s specialists closer to their home in southern Colorado.

Did You Know?

Colorado is a preferred destination for military members with children in the “Exceptional Family Member Program” because of the level and depth of care Children’s Hospital Colorado provides. This means that military families who have a child with complex medical needs can be preferentially stationed at bases and posts in Colorado due to their proximity to our hospital. The military is stationing and retaining more and more families in Colorado Springs because of the world-class care we provide.

“I love the Colorado Springs hospital It’s so convenient, and it gives me peace of mind to bring my daughter to a place that specializes in kids.”—Nicole, Nyssa’s mom

‘A Great Moment for Our City’ Kate Faricy and her husband, Ben, have three active kids. “They don’t walk, they run,” Kate jests. “We joke that we are ‘frequent flyers’ because we are always at the doctor’s office.”

Once she and her family experienced Children’s Hospital Colorado, they were sold. “The experience was so different, so wonderful,” says Kate. “It was everything I wanted for my kids.”

Kate recalls when her middle child, Owen, had corrective eye surgery at age 4. They were at Children’s Colorado on the Anschutz Medical Campus for Owen’s care, “ and the caregivers took care of us, the parents, too.” She appreciated that the medical staff went through the procedure with them step by step, letting them know what to expect. The anesthesiologist even showed Owen what he would be wearing as he went under sedation for the surgery so that he wouldn’t be frightened.

Kate and Ben were happy to donate to help build the new hospital in their home community, and Kate, who serves on the hospital’s Southern Colorado Advisory Committee, is proud to spread the word about Children’s Colorado. No matter the amount, she says, gifts add up quickly.

“This hospital is an incredible community resource that provides care to all kids, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

This is where our community can step up and make a difference by giving, because kids need us,” says Kate.

“I would love for every parent to know what I know about Children’s Colorado: That it is here for them and their family,” she says. “The Colorado Springs hospital was a long time coming but this is a great moment for our city.”

“We have such a unique mix of residents in Colorado Springs. I want everyone to know what is available at Children’s. Thanks to donors and community support, we’re getting world-class care right here in our backyard.”

KATE FARICY DONOR

Philanthropy Makes a Difference As a nonprofit, Children’s Colorado Hospital, Colorado Springs is fueled by donors. Our hospital belongs to the community and is supported by the community. Here are just a few of the ways that donors are helping kids and families by supporting Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs.

11.

Access to pediatric expertise: Our highly trained team of experts specializes in the needs of children. They know how to treat kids better than anyone, because they have focused their careers on pediatric medicine.

2. Expanding to serve more kids: Nearly 200,000 children and teens live in southern Colorado, and the population continues to grow. We stand ready to meet that need by providing care at four locations in southern Colorado. And, in response to growing demand, we are already expanding our capacities at the new hospital and the Briargate Outpatient Specialty Care location.

2

33.

Top talent and pediatric expertise: This year, 34 Colorado Springs physicians made Colorado Springs Style magazine’s Top Docs list across 27 categories, sweeping all eight pediatric subspecialties. These providers are not only recognized for their quality care, but also their ability to fight COVID-19 in the region.

44.

Help for local youth in crisis: We are home to the region’s first emergency department behavioral health suite.

With six patient rooms — all outfitted with multiple safety and design elements — the suite helps to stabilize and support kids in crisis. Access to windows and natural light for children in psychological crisis are some of the ways that Children’s Colorado is innovating and actually changing the way mental health treatment is delivered.

5. Care for every child: We believe that all kids should have the care they need, when they need it. As a nonprofit hospital, we are committed to treating children of all ages, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Philanthropy supports our mission-driven responsibility to serve every child who needs us.

5

66.

Support for families: We treat the whole child and family — not just the illness — helping them cope during difficult times. Donors enable us to offer support services like Child Life Therapy to bring a sense of calm and normalcy to an otherwise stressful situation.

7

7.

Research for better care: Our physicians are part of one of the country’s leading academic medical centers on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Kids in southern Colorado now have direct access to the most advanced facilities, cutting-edge treatments, clinical trials and innovative care informed by groundbreaking research.

88.

Building resiliency: In January 2020, the hospital launched “Building Resiliency for Healthy Kids,” a pilot program designed to improve resiliency in children through one-on-one health coaching. Nearly 300 5th and 6th graders participated in the program, 60% of whom reported an improved ability to bounce back from personal challenges, like a disappointment or hardship. For the 2020 fall semester, the program expanded to three school districts and is serving more than 3,000 kids.

Thanks to on-going community support, our region’s children have access to one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation. Continued philanthropic support will allow us to keep meeting the growing health needs for kids in southern Colorado. We hope you will join us.

“The milestones we have reached this year truly demonstrate the need we have been able to help meet to improve the physical and mental health for children in our community.”

MARGARET SABIN PRESIDENT OF CHILDREN’S COLORADO’S SOUTHERN REGION

111 S. Tejon Street, Suite 309 | Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | 719-266-3597 | ChildrensColoradoFoundation.org