Category: Spring 2026 Colorado Medicine

  • COVER: From crisis to collaboration: Strengthening rural health care in Colorado

    Practical steps for physician-led partnerships – workforce, technology and advocacy – that help rural facilities remain viable while improving access and outcomes. Kevin Stansbury, MS, JD, FACHE, and Kenneth Blake, MD, FASCRS Rural health care in the United States is at a critical inflection point, and Colorado offers a stark example of the challenges. An…

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  • President’s letter: Addressing mental health in medicine

    Brigitta Robinson, MD, FACS President, Colorado Medical Society Mental health has been a theme throughout my medical career, whether it was named that or not. Like many physicians, I learned early that stress was part of the job. Long hours, high stakes, and constant responsibility have always been present – especially in surgery and academic…

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  • Steady advocacy, lasting impact: CMS and the 2026 legislative session

    Cecilia Comerford-Ames CMS Communications and Marketing Manager When the 2026 legislative session adjourned on May 13 sine die under the Gold Dome it closed a session where numerous issues were defined less by dramatic headlines and more by high stakes policy decisions that directly affect how medicine is practiced in Colorado. Much of the work…

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  • Physician health programs: More different than you might think

    Scott Humphreys, MD Medical Director, Colorado Physician Health Program Last month, Physician Health Programs (PHPs) from the United States and Canada met in Baltimore for our annual educational conference. Every year when I attend this meeting, I come away with the same thought: we are fortunate in Colorado to have such a robust PHP. What…

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  • Colorado moves past stigma in medical licensing, but some work remains

    Bobby Mukkamala, MD President, American Medical Association Removing stigmatizing language on Colorado’s medical licensing application is essential to support physicians at every stage of their careers.  The Colorado Legislature agreed to that premise last year by enacting Colorado House Bill 25-1176. This law ensures that the Colorado medical licensing application is free from stigmatizing and…

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  • Voices of the candidates for election to the Colorado delegation to the American Medical Association

    Each year the Colorado Medical Society holds a leadership election, asking members to elect a President-elect and six of the 12 members of the Colorado Delegation to the American Medical Association. These delegates work for you on the national level, and you are encouraged to read their candidate statements to inform your vote. Each CMS…

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  • When diseases of “the poor” stop innovation

    Iyana Malik, BSN, RN; Randall Reves, MD During one of my medical school clinical rotations in Colorado, a patient presented with months of dyspnea, hemoptysis, fevers, night sweats, and weight loss. The patient’s chest CT showed findings suggestive of miliary tuberculosis (TB). When I discussed including TB on my differential diagnosis, my suggestion was dismissed…

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  • Copic Comment: Giving back to improve patient care

    2026 Copic Medical Foundation grants Gerald Zarlengo, MD Chairman & CEO Copic Insurance Company At Copic, we believe our role extends beyond medical liability insurance to help strengthen the systems that patients and clinicians rely on. This belief led to the creation of the Copic Medical Foundation in 1991, which was established as a nonprofit…

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  • Partner Spotlight: The financial blind spot most doctors don’t know they have

    Michael Jerkins, MD, M.Ed.,President and Co-founder of Panacea Financial Medical training prepares you to take exceptional care of patients, but it often leaves little time to focus on the financial side of your life, leading to unnecessary stress. Here’s what you need to know about equipping yourself with the financial knowledge and tools you need. …

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  • Final Word: 14 peaks and the climb back

    Tracee Metcalfe, MD On Oct. 5, 2024, I stood on the summit of Shishapangma in Tibet and became the first American woman, and third American ever, to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. It had taken nearly 10 years and 21 expeditions to get there. But the harder climb, the one no one…

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