University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

09/04/2026

Doctors told artist Diane Ciampa that she would lose her eye after a roller hockey accident in 2018. A second opinion from Scott Oliver, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center at CU Anschutz, gave her hope.

“Dr. Oliver helped save my peripheral vision, and I still have my eye,” she says. “He’s brilliant. And still, he can come down to my level and talk. His bedside manner is amazing.”

To show her gratitude, Ciampa has created several art pieces for Oliver. They serve as reminders to himself, colleagues, and patients of the transformative work being done by ophthalmologists.

Read more of Ciampa's story: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/ophthalmology/patient-eye-hockey-accident

CU Ophthalmology

09/02/2026

Join us in congratulating Edward A. Stenehjem, MD, MSc, on being named senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs, effective October 15.

“Dr. Stenehjem has been my trusted senior leadership partner at the Department of Medicine, and I am confident that he’s the absolute right person for this role,” says Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, executive vice dean for Clinical Affairs, Research, and Quality. “He’s proven time and again that a smart and humane approach leads to outstanding care for patients and high-quality workplaces for our faculty and staff. This is a well-deserved promotion that will benefit our clinical partners and the entire school.”

Read the full announcement here: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/edward-stenehjem-senior-associate-dean-clinical-affairs

09/01/2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately one in 38 hospital patients has at least one health care-associated infection on any given day.

Research increasingly shows that large language models are promising tools for processing the vast amounts of unstructured clinical data generated in health care that is often needed in infection prevention work.

“It’s important to remember that these algorithms are not thinking machines. AI is not here to replace a doctor, and I don't think they ever will, but they will help us improve in our workflow in infection prevention,” says Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases.

Learn more: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/ai-infection-prevention

08/27/2026

This week, CU Anschutz announced the creation of the Division of Transplant Medicine, the first academic structure of its kind in the nation.

The division brings transplant specialists together in a new academic model designed to strengthen patient care, accelerate discovery, and train the next generation of transplant leaders.

“CU Anschutz is creating a new model for transplant medicine that brings specialists together around the patient rather than organizing them primarily by organ or traditional medical specialty,” said Vineet Chopra, MBBS, MD, MSc, executive vice dean and chair of the CU Anschutz Department of Medicine.

Learn more:

The Division of Transplant Medicine, the first academic division of its kind in the nation, brings experts across specialties into a shared home.

08/26/2026

Moviegoers are storming theaters this summer to see The Odyssey – and some say their ears are ringing after the movie.

We talked to CU Anschutz School of Medicine audiologist, Cory Portnuff, AuD, PhD, to find out whether movies and other noisy experiences pose a risk and how we can protect our ears.

Learn more: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/portnuff-odyssey-loud-movies-hearing-risk

08/24/2026

Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, and it has a significant, but often under-recognized impact, on aging women.

“As global populations age and women spend a greater proportion of their lives in the postmenopausal state, addressing sarcopenia must become a central priority in women’s health," said Jaime Arruda, MD, in a recent publication.

Want to learn more about how to best prepare women for postmenopausal life? Click the link in our first comment.

08/20/2026

Join us in welcoming Michael J. Englesbe, MD, as chair of the CU Anschutz Department of Surgery, effective November 1.

Englesbe will be joining the CU Anschutz School of Medicine from the University of Michigan. He is one of the nation’s leading transplant surgeons and an authority on building effective clinical programs, improving hospital quality and safety and reforming training environments.

Read the full announcement: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/surgery-chair-announcement-2026

08/19/2026

The Class of 2029 wrote an anthology, One Year Later, to share art and words of wisdom with our new medical students.

The photos included reinforce a repeated piece of advice, that little moments of joy make each day better.

View the full anthology: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/03535be566.html /1

08/14/2026

Coffee can be part of a heart-healthy diet and is linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke heart failure, and some irregular heart rhythms.

According to a new statement from the American Heart Association, daily coffee consumption isn’t a problem for most people, and morning rituals don’t need to be altered to improve health.

“I think all we can say right now is that you don’t have change what you’re doing when it comes to coffee and tea,” says CU Anschutz cardiologist David Kao, MD.

Learn more about the research:

A new scientific statement asserts that consuming up to 400mg of caffeine in coffee per day is generally healthy for most adults.

08/10/2026

A clinical trial led by researchers at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine has found that oral semaglutide, a medication widely used for diabetes and weight loss, reduces heavy drinking in adults with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

“With no new FDA-approved medications for AUD since 2006, identifying new therapeutic options is especially critical. For families, even modest reductions in heavy drinking can mean greater stability, fewer crises and improved quality of life," says Joseph Schacht, PhD.

Learn more about their findings: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/can-oral-semaglutide-reduce-alcohol-use-cu-anschutz-clinical-trial-shows-fewer-heavy-drinking-days

Can Oral Semaglutide Reduce Alcohol Use? CU Anschutz Clinical Trial Shows Fewer Heavy Drinking Days