UCHealth

For Mandy Kubler, nursing is about understanding what a patient needs beyond medical care. While caring for a patient who was feeling isolated and struggling through a difficult hospital stay, Mandy took the time to listen and learn what mattered most to him. After discovering his birthday was the next day, she went out after her shift to put together a thoughtful care package filled with practical items and small comforts. The surprise brought a bright spot to an otherwise challenging time and reflected the approach Mandy brings to every patient interaction. Whether it’s solving a practical problem, sharing a moment of joy or simply helping someone feel seen, she believes healing starts with caring for the whole person, mind, body and spirit. Thank you, Mandy, for your work to improve lives ♥️

What gives you PRIDE? 🌈 We’re proud to celebrate Pride alongside our communities across Colorado 🫶

We’re proud to be recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index for the second consecutive time. This designation reflects our ongoing commitment to providing inclusive, compassionate care and fostering a welcoming experience for all patients, team members and communities we serve.

What if the greatest impact isn’t the surgery itself, but the skills that remain long after? A team led by UCHealth’s Dr. Phuong Nguyen is helping expand access to advanced surgical care in Vietnam through a partnership model focused on collaboration, education and long-term sustainability. By training local surgeons and learning alongside them, this work is helping strengthen surgical care for years to come.

A new pilot program at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital is helping older patients with dementia feel more comfortable during hospital stays through an unexpected source of support: robotic companion pets. For patients like Richard Walker, who was hospitalized after becoming lost and wandering for hours, the lifelike robotic cat provided a sense of calm during a confusing and stressful time. Patients living with dementia can often feel disoriented or anxious in the hospital, but care teams have found that the companion pets help redirect attention, reduce agitation and create moments of connection. Since launching earlier this year on the Acute Care for the Elderly Unit, the program has already made a meaningful difference for patients, families and caregivers. Nurses have seen patients become more engaged and relaxed, while loved ones say the pets provide comfort even when they can’t be at the bedside. As Richard prepared to leave the hospital, his robotic cat went with him to his new memory care community. It’s a simple idea that’s helping patients feel a little more at home, both in the hospital and beyond.

What is success? Connecting with our community reminds us that when we stand together, we are not alone. Life goes far beyond sports. Coach Prime visited Athletics & Beyond to discuss the ways we prepare, guide and support our youth and how it shapes the opportunities they earn tomorrow.

When a patient in the cardiothoracic ICU at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital wanted their final days to be filled with music, memories and the people they loved most, Ellie Dion helped make it happen. Ellie worked alongside family and friends to create a celebration of life complete with games, laughter and meaningful moments. She even spent time learning one of the patient’s favorite songs so she could play it on guitar at their bedside. Through every detail, Ellie helped transform a difficult chapter into one centered on connection, joy and the things that mattered most to the patient. Thank you, Ellie, for your work to improve lives ♥️

James spent his final days watching westerns, holding someone’s hand and hearing a kind voice nearby. After years of experiencing homelessness and a cancer diagnosis, the 85-year-old former aerospace worker found care at Rocky Mountain Refuge, a small Denver nonprofit and UCHealth community grant recipient that serves people who have nowhere else to go at the end of life. Caregivers there provide something many unhoused people are missing in their final days: comfort, dignity and the feeling that they are not alone. “No one should die alone, afraid and under a bridge,” said founder James Patrick “JP” Hall. Inside two converted hotel rooms in Denver, caregivers help residents eat, rest, stay comfortable and feel cared for while hospice teams provide medical support. For James, that meant watching old western movies with caregiver Tawny Richardson, sharing stories about rodeos and the years he spent helping build parts for NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Rocky Mountain Refuge may be small, but the impact is enormous. Alongside hospice partners and support from UCHealth, the team is helping people experience compassion and humanity during some of life’s hardest moments. As one physician visiting the program said, “It’s something everyone has a right to.”

A Mother’s Day hike near Horsetooth Reservoir took an unexpected turn for Cody Neidert when a rattlesnake struck without warning, biting his leg as he stepped over a rock on the trail. Within minutes, the Windsor father of two began experiencing symptoms from the venom, including severe swelling, numbness and dizziness. After calling 911, Cody was treated by first responders and the UCHealth LifeLine team, who airlifted him to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies. He received antivenom both during the flight and throughout his hospital stay, helping prevent more serious complications and putting him on the path to recovery. For Cody, the scariest part wasn’t what happened to him. It was knowing his wife, Allison, and their two young children were there to witness it all. Looking back, he’s grateful the bite happened to him and not one of his family members, and thankful for the quick actions of emergency responders, medical teams and even fellow hikers who stayed by his side until help arrived. Today, Cody is back home with his family and slowly recovering. The experience serves as a powerful reminder that while rattlesnake bites are rare, fast treatment can make all the difference when every minute counts.

The UCHealth Healthy Swings Home Run Derby delivered its biggest result yet ⚾️ A record-breaking $260,150 was raised to support Athletics & Beyond and its mission to help young people succeed in competition and in life.