University of Colorado Denver

Investing in Colorado

Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of its members and the community. Kaiser invests $82 million annually to advance the health of Colorado, including a $3 million grant to the University of Colorado's health programs. By investing in education, Kaiser invests in the future of the state--ensuring that Colorado has a high-quality work force with dedicated doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, and public health professionals to care for the state’s citizens.

“For more than 40 years, Kaiser Permanente has helped improve the health of Coloradans. As the largest nonprofit health plan in Colorado, we believe everyone has the right to high-quality health care. We have long recognized that our members, our neighbors, our employees, our physicians, our families, and our friends cannot be healthy if they live in unhealthy communities. By investing in our state's universities, we provide important resources for future generations of Coloradans.”

Visit the Center for Public Health Practice and the programs made possible by Kaiser's generous investment

A career committed to health

William “Bill” Marine, MD initially came to the University of Colorado in order to create and teach the Introduction to Clinical Medicine course. Soon after
beginning his teaching career, Bill set high goals for the university’s medical andhealth care training. He helped the School of Medicine create a masters program focused on community health, then tackled the challenge of creating the Preventive Medicine Residency in collaboration with the state’s public health
leadership. His efforts were complimented by colleague and wife Susan Marine, PhD, also on faculty at the School of Medicine for several years. Both Bill and
Susan committed their careers to understanding the issues affecting the health of individuals and communities. Bill passed on his understanding through education
and training programs like the Preventive Medicine Residency. Now retired, Bill and Susan’s careers are memorialized in the William M. Marine Endowment for
the support of the Preventive Medicine Residency. Established by an initial gift to the university, Bill and Susan took further steps to secure the program’s
endowment by dedicating a bequest made in their will. Their gifts serve as a noble example of the impact made when a career is committed to the health and
education of others.

Make a contribution in honor of Bill and Susan Marine

Learn more about the Preventive Medicine Residency program

Built on a strong foundation

Since 2006, the Colorado Health Foundation has provided more than $3 million to support the establishment of Colorado’s first school of public health. One of the Foundation’s primary goals is to ensure that Colorado has the health professional workforce necessary to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation. Providing a world-class education to a new generation of public health professionals with a passion for change is a vital element in achieving this vision. The Colorado School of Public Health’s training and research capacity directly impacts the Foundation’s work in encouraging healthy living, increasing the number of Coloradans with health insurance coverage and ensuring access to quality, coordinated health care.

Learn more about the foundational work of the Colorado Health Foundation

An advocate for health  

Dr. Richard Hoffman was an early advocate for the Colorado School of Public Health. After providing initial support for the school, he felt that a pressing need was to support students who would address health disparities in their future. He wanted those students to become public health leaders who could connect with different populations that carried the greatest disease burden. Dr. Hoffman generously established the Richard E. Hoffman Health Disparities Fellowship. This fund provides critical financial resources for students who have creative ideas about how to address health disparities to create a healthier and more just society.

Meet Hoffman Fellow Adrienne Veyna

Meet Hoffman Fellow Blessing Wazara 

Learn more about scholarships at the Colorado School of Public Health

In his words

“I found that doctors were training to identify the need for treatment and they were paid a stated amount to provide treatment. They did pretty well, but this was their financial orientation. They received no compensation for preventing anything. I thought we needed some interest in prevention and that is what interested me in public health and that is why I helped to organize the Colorado School of Public Health.”

Shortly after earning a law degree from Columbia University in 1948, Don joined Denver law firm Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP where he served as a managing partner for many years until retirement in 1987. His leadership in the legal field is mirrored by his advocacy for the public health community. Don held numerous chairman and board member positions for foundations such as Caring for Colorado, the Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment, and the Legal Aid Foundation. To honor his leadership in the community, Davis Graham and Stubbs made the first contribution to establish a strategic initiatives fund in Don’s name. Don and his wife Mary, along with many of Don's career friends and colleagues, contributed to increasing the fund's value and future reach.

Make a contribution in honor of Don Hoagland