Denver Health Medical Center

Denver Health Medical Center, formerly named Denver General Hospital, was founded in 1860. The name was sometimes abbreviated to Denver General or DG, nicknames that persist in common parlance. It is one of three Level I Trauma Centers in Colorado. The hospital is located in the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood near Cherry Creek, in Denver.

Denver Health is one of the primary teaching hospitals in Denver and is affiliated with the University of Colorado Denver.

Denver Health is an integrated health care system that consists of:

  • The main Hospital that houses the Rocky Mountain Regional Level 1 Trauma Center (RMRTC) and 477 beds. In 2008, the RMRTC was recognized by the American College of Surgeons as the best trauma center in the United States, based on survival rates.
  • Denver Health operates the 911 medical response system for the City and County of Denver, to include Denver Paramedics, 911 operators, and dispatchers. In 2008, Denver Health paramedics responded to more than 84,000 calls for emergency medical assistance.

Denver's Department of Environmental Health(DEH), a City and County of Denver agency, manages and oversees the operating agreement to contract with Denver Health and Hospital Authority (DHHA) to provide services related to the medical investigations and medical services for disease control (including clinics)and the administration of vital birth and death records.

DEH and Denver Public Health work together to conduct communicable disease reporting, investigation, and control for Denver. Public and environmental health functions and regulatory authority remains with DEH. DHHA provides communicable disease surveillance and medically-oriented public health functions through their Denver Public Health (DPH) department.

Through numerous grant-funded programs, DPH conducts important research on infectious diseases, including hepatitis surveillance; tuberculosis clinical trials; HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling, testing and treatment; and vaccine trials.

  • The Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center (RMPDC) handles most minor poisoning emergencies by telephone. In addition the Center’s staff of toxicologists cares for seriously ill patients in the hospital. Through Denver Health’s 24-hour NurseLine (housed in the RMPDC), patients can get free and confidential answers to health-related questions, possibly avoiding costly Emergency Room visits.
  • An 8 clinic network of Family health centers throughout Denver.
  • 12 school based clinics in the Denver Public Schools
  • Denver CARES detoxification services.
  • Correctional care. The main Hospital is equipped with wards capable of caring for inmates from the county jails and Colorado Department of Corrections inmates.
  • The Rocky Mountain Center for Medical Response to Terrorism, Mass Casualties and Epidemics.

Read more about Denver Health Medical Center:  History, Denver Paramedics

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