​2019 has been an incredible year. From two major expansion projects, to the implementation of our new Epic Electronic Health Record, to launching several new partnerships that embody the BCH strategic vision of partnering to create and care for healthiest community the nation - it’s been an amazing way to close out the decade.

Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable moments at Boulder Community Health, month by month.

January 2019 - Brave staff joined the BCH Polar Plunge team and jumped in some very cold water at the Boulder Reservoir - all to benefit the American Cancer Society.

February 2019 - BCH’s Family Birth Center partnered with the American Heart Association and the Children's Heart Foundation for their Little Hats, Big Hearts campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in babies and moms. Babies born at Foothills Hospital in February went home wearing adorable, handmade hats knitted or crocheted with love by amazing BCH employees and volunteers: a tiny pop of red to raise awareness about congenital heart defects.

March 2019 - The 40,000-square-foot Erie Medical Center opened, bringing a host of BCH services to growing communities in need of better access to quality medical care. We were warmly welcomed and continue to receive positive feedback and messages of gratitude from residents of Erie and the surrounding Tri-Town area.

April 2019 - BCH opened the 70,000-square-foot Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion, providing a beautiful new home for BCH services that support a chronically underserved population - our community members suffering from mental illness issues. We’ve complemented our brick-and-mortar investment with expanded educational programming focusing on mental health and substance abuse topics.

BCH also opened our B Strong Treatment Center, an outpatient rehabilitation room and multidisciplinary space providing speech, occupational and physical therapies, counseling dietary/nutritional services. This treatment center was funded by the annual B Strong Ride, which has a long-standing history with BCH.

May 2019 – The BCH Foundation held its 2019 Spring Gala to support expanded access to mental health services at BCH. We are proud to announce that we raised over $600,000 – made possible through the generosity and compassion of our community.

June 2019 - In Sept. 2018, Boulder Community Health’s Foothills Hospital became an official location for community members to safely dispose of expired or unused medications. In June, the Medication Take-Back Program hit a half-ton milestone - more than 1,000 pounds of home medications have been turned in, an average of 100 pounds per month. The collection receptacle, located in the Emergency Department waiting area at Foothills Hospital, is available for anyone to use to dispose of expired or unused household medications.

July 2019 - July saw the opening of a joint venture inpatient rehabilitation unit at UC Health’s Broomfield Hospital, moving our highly experienced and committed clinical staff to a beautiful new facility. This same month, BCH partnered with the DAISY Foundation to introduce to Boulder the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, an international movement that provides a meaningful way for staff, providers and patients to recognize the exceptional care provided by our nurses.

August 2019 – The B Strong Ride brought the Boulder community together and raised funds for BCH’s Center for Integrative Care and the George Karl Foundation. 822 riders celebrated cancer survivorship and raised $358,000 (over $3 million since 2011). Our BCH volunteers loved being out at the B Strong Ride, congratulating all the riders on a successful event.

September 2019 - In September, BCH connected with the Town of Superior Parks and Recreation Department to support their efforts to create a healthier community by jointly starting a new Walk with a Doc program in that growing community. Learn more here.

October 2019 – BCH went live with Epic, the most comprehensive electronic health record system in the country with the collective expertise of healthcare providers around the world. All BCH patients now benefit from a single, inclusive shared record incorporating all our facilities. The easy-to-use patient portal (MyBCH) allows you to securely access test results, manage appointments, message your doctors, pay bills online and schedule payment plans, and more. Register at my.bch.org or download the MyBCH app on the App Store or get it on Google Play. Additional info is also available here.

November 2019 - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recognized BCH for achieving gold-level status as a partner of the Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact. The compact is an agreement by hospitals that share a mission to protect and promote the health of hospital patients and their families, visitors and staff. BCH was acknowledged for its exceptional commitment to ensuring food and beverages meet specific nutrition criteria and for its support of breastfeeding policies and practices.

December 2019 – Showing appreciation and kindness at BCH is not uncommon, but we want to make it epidemic! “Make Gratitude Epidemic" is a new campaign that BCH staff recently launched, Our BCH team members take photos of the co-workers we are grateful for and adding those images to beautiful new floating display frames. The Gratitude campaign will be ongoing in 2020.

On Dec. 10 – Colorado Gives Day - the BCH Foundation raised over $31,000 and donations are still being made. Read the inspiring stories shared that day, as well as many other stories of gratitude, in the Foundation's Winter Newsletter.

Happy New Year! Wishing you health and happiness in 2020.