For Darcy Copeland, a registered nurse science specialist at St. Anthony hospital, it almost felt like returning home when she started working at the hospital in 2010. It was, after all, where she was born.
“Having been born there, and finding myself back here, I’ve seen the hospital’s commitment to the community,” she said. “There’s so much history behind this hospital, and at the same time, we’re always making new history.”
Copeland is just one of the many people whose lives have been impacted by the hospital’s work, which has been going on for a long, long time – 125 years to be exact.
To celebrate that major milestone — the official anniversary is June 20 — St. Anthony is hosting a community event on June 9. But it’s also finding little ways to highlight people and achievements, such as with “Throw Back Thursday” historical posts on the hospital’s Facebook page and profiles of associates, volunteers and physicians to share on social media.
“We wouldn’t have made it so long if it wasn’t for our team members and physicians,” said Edward Sim, the hospital’s CEO. “It all goes to our mission — `We extend the healing ministry of Christ by caring for those who are ill and by nurturing the health of the people in our communities’ — and our people.”
The hospital started at its original Sloan’s Lake Campus in 1892. It was founded by a small group of Sisters of St. Francis — including one nun who believed St. Anthony spoke directly with her — who were mainly funded by contributions from Denver railroadmen and miners.
Since then, the hospital has been home to several significant achievements: In 1960, it became the first hospital in Denver to perform open-heart surgery, and in 1972, it was the first hospital in the nation to launch a civilian hospital air ambulance service, Flight For Life.
The hospital moved to its current location in Lakewood, 11600 W. 2nd Place, in 2011. The modern St. Anthony is a full-service, acute care hospital and a Level I Trauma Center. It’s the headquarters for Flight For Life Colorado; home to T-10, the region’s first field-to-surgery trauma suite; and is a Joint Commission/American Heart Association-designated Comprehensive Stroke Center. Other recognized areas of strength include heart and vascular, neurosciences, the St. Anthony Breast Center and St. Anthony Cancer Center.
“The thing that always strikes me is that we have really, really strong physicians and incredibly talented nurses,” said Dr. Raymond Mencini, a breast radiologist at St. Anthony. “We have all this technology and are always looking for the best practices, and it’s always in service of the patients.”
As a community hub and vital part of the health of so many people, Copeland said the hospital is continuing to search out ways to be a community asset.
“Our job is to provide unsurpassed care,” Mencini said. “And that’s what we do — every day.”
