DENVER – Two of the largest pediatric healthcare providers in the metropolitan Denver area have signed an affiliation agreement to improve pediatric patient care, education, research and advocacy.
The Children’s Hospital (Denver) and Denver Health system plan to coordinate recruitment and sharing of specialized pediatric providers who can provide services as needed at both facilities. The organizations also intend to advance advocacy and outcomes issues for children in the region.
“The Children’s Hospital and Denver Health have been collaborating for many years, and this renewed commitment demonstrates the successes that can be achieved through cooperation versus competition,” said Patricia A. Gabow, MD, CEO of Denver Health.
The Children’s Hospital network includes its main campus on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, as well as 15 “Network of Care” locations and more than 400 outreach clinics. Denver Health is the Rocky Mountain Region’s Level 1 academic trauma center and the safety net hospital for the Denver area.
“Collaborative partnerships such as this one are crucial when it comes to meeting the increased healthcare needs of our children and families,” said Jim Shmerling, CEO and president of The Children’s Hospital. “We strongly believe that this affiliation is in the best interest of the health of children in Denver and Colorado and also in the best future interest of both institutions.”
One focus of the collaboration will be on behavioral health services, Shmerling said. The two health systems want to ensure that children have access to both inpatient and outpatient mental health services. The move is in direct response to the closure of a state behavioral health facility last year.
“This agreement continues a partnership by Denver Health and The Children’s Hospital to provide high-quality care to children of all ages in and around Denver,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “It’s these kinds of collaborative efforts and commitments to share resources that serve our community well.”
