November 19, 2001

In light of the recent acts of terrorism in the U.S. and the unique capabilities of the Denver Health system, Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb and Dr. Patricia A. Gabow, CEO/ Medical Director of Denver Health have announced the creation of the Rocky Mountain Center for the Medical Response to Terrorism, Mass Causalities and Epidemics at Denver Health. The new effort, announced November 13th, is designed to fill identified gaps in the present system. In order for the new center to make a contribution to medical preparedness, the center will have to collaborate with the federal and state agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Governor's office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The center will also have to work closely with area hospitals and healthcare providers who are an essential part of any medical response.

"We believe Denver Health's broadly integrated health care delivery system and its academic physicians afford Denver, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region a unique resource in the development of medical response to terrorism and mass casualties," said Mayor Webb, a past president of the Conference of Mayors.

The Center's objectives are:

1. To coordinate Denver Health's unique components and physician expertise in the development of a more effective medical response to terrorist events, mass casualties and epidemics.

2. To support and assist lead government agencies in the event of terrorist events, mass casualties and epidemics.

3. To develop, in collaboration with others: public education, education of health care professionals, methods of public health surveillance, processes to serve the needs of the worried well, and methods for coordinating the medical response to such events.

4. To collaborate with others to understand the "surge capacity needs" for the area and to develop approaches to meet those needs.

5. To conduct research which advances our understanding of the best medical management of specific terrorist events, mass casualties and epidemics.

"To achieve these objectives, we intend to build upon the critically important components of our existing response system," states Gabow. The elements of the Denver Health response system include:

• Denver's 911 System

• Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center

• Denver Department of Public Health

• The Denver Center for Public Health Preparedness

• The Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center

• Metropolitan Medical Response System

• The Rita Bass Trauma and EMS Education Center

• Denver Health Telemedicine Service

• Denver Health Family Health Centers

This new center will be under the oversight of Dr. Gabow, and will be directed by a team of DH physician leaders including Franklyn Judson, MD, director of Denver Public Health and chief of DH Infectious Disease; Gene Moore, MD, director of DH Surgery and Trauma Critical Care services; Richard Dart, MD, director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center and Stephen Cantrill, MD, associate director of DH Emergency Department. The other Denver Health physicians who will be an integral part of the center's activities and development are Greg Bogdan, PhD; David Cohn, MD; Chris Colwell, MD; Art Davidson, MD; Peter Pons, MD; Michael Wilson, MD and Richard Wright, MD. As the center evolves, other physicians and health care providers will be involved as the circumstances demand.

The Rocky Mountain Center of Medical Response to Terrorism, Mass Casualties and Epidemics will seek foundation and government support to achieve its objectives. To date the City of Denver has committed to contribute resources to improve preparedness, and the Adolph Coors Foundation has contributed $50,000 to improve the Rocky Mountain Poison Center's capacity to handle calls.