Colorado Governor's Newsletter June 2026
Gail E. Mizner, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Corner
Dear Colleagues,
I'm just back from a whirlwind of celebrations—two weddings, two reunions, and, thankfully, no funerals. Each was deeply meaningful in its own way: my youngest son's wedding beneath a golden California sun; a ceremony I had the privilege of officiating in China for a concert pianist who feels like family; and my 45th college and 40th medical school reunions. Witnessing the vitality and optimism of young love and reconnecting with lifelong friends who have evolved yet remain fundamentally themselves was both joyful and profoundly moving.
With that, I owe a heartfelt thank-you to several colleagues who kept everything running smoothly in my absence: Colleen Keeku, our ever-steady Executive Director; Jen Stichman, our Colorado Chapter Vice President, who stood ready to step in as needed; Eric Wallace, who supported our new FACPs at Convocation; and Al Steinmann, your previous governor, who led our Colorado delegation at Leadership Day.
Here's your ACP news and updates in the usual order:
EDUCATION
Chapter Meeting:
Our 2027 Chapter Meeting will be held February 5–6 at The Broadmoor—please save the date and spread the word! We're lining up an outstanding program, including Dr. Mike McDermott with another of his clear, practical talks (this time on osteoporosis), Dr. Nikki Zarling sharing the latest on evidence-based menopausal hormone therapy, and Dr. Mel Anderson, who will once again entertain and enlighten us with his review of the most important studies of 2026.
We've also made a few small adjustments to the schedule. The poster session will now immediately follow Friday's didactic sessions, making it easier for everyone to attend and still enjoy going out to dinner afterwards. In addition, all resident presentations will be scheduled consecutively between lunch and the awards and business meeting. Forest for the Trees and the Art Table will continue unchanged.
National meeting:
Mark your calendars as well for the 2027 National ACP meeting in Los Angeles from April 15-17th.
ADVOCACY
State Advocacy
Pilot Project:
We have an important update on the State Universal Vaccine Purchasing project: thanks in part to our conversations with key legislators, CDPHE secured a grant to conduct a feasibility study in Colorado. They are conducting interviews this month and have also released a brief, one-page survey open to all. If you have input on vaccine access or universal purchasing (for or against), please complete the survey by June 26th.
Colorado Partner Universal Vaccine Purchase Survey
Advocacy Day:
As I shared in my last letter, Colorado ACP held a highly successful inaugural State Advocacy Day on February 4, 2026—and we're excited to do it again. Our second State Advocacy Day is tentatively planned for February 3, 2027, and we warmly welcome participation from any interested Colorado ACP members. More details will be shared in my September and December letters.
National Advocacy
National ACP Leadership Day
Report from Al Steinmann: The ACP held its national Leadership Day in Washington, DC, on May 12–13, bringing members together to learn about ACP's advocacy priorities and meet with Congressional offices. Our chapter was represented by Drs. Carl Barnes and Al Steinmann, resident Dr. Tate Higgins, and medical students Fareed Ahamad, Bethlehem Dawit, Julia Fontana, Grace Hanson, and Elizabeth Westerby, with resident and student participation supported by a chapter scholarship program.
This year's legislative priorities included the REDI Act (allowing residents to defer loan interest during training), the Protecting Free Vaccines Act, and the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026. The group met with both Colorado senators' offices and five members of Congress, including an in-person visit with Rep. Brittany Pettersen. Following that meeting, her office confirmed that she signed onto the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act. Overall, it was a very successful Leadership Day, and we were especially pleased to include our resident and student members.
To learn more about National level ACP advocacy and how you can get involved, visit ACP Advocacy-Health Policy Issues and Health Care Reform or Where We Stand
COLLEGIALITY AND MENTORSHIP
Awards
The collegiality and sense of community I feel at our chapter meetings are a true source of energy and inspiration. One of my favorite moments is the awards ceremony, where we formally recognize and celebrate our colleagues for their outstanding contributions to the House of Medicine.
The 2027 Award Cycle is now open! We are accepting nominations for the following awards:
- ACP Colorado Chapter Laureate Award
- Volunteerism/Community Service Award
- Early Career Physician Award
- Joel S. Levine, MD, MACP Distinguished Healthcare Advocate
- Robert B. Gibbons, MD, MACP Distinguished Medical Educator
- Award for Excellence in Rural Health Care
These awards will be presented at the 2027 ACP Colorado Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting, February 5–6, 2027, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Any member of the Colorado Chapter may submit a nomination.
Each nomination must include:
- The nominee's curriculum vitae (maximum 5 pages, focused on accomplishments relevant to the award)
- One nomination letter on letterhead (up to 1,000 words) — see the nomination form for guidance
The deadline for nominations is October 1, 2026. Please submit nominations and supporting materials using this nomination form. For questions, contact Colleen Keeku.
Thank you for helping recognize the outstanding physicians in our Colorado Chapter.
New Committees
One could argue that a report on new committees belongs under “Governance” rather than “Collegiality and Mentorship”, but the two committees I'm going to report on have so much to do with collegiality and mentorship that I'm going to put them here. I also love how they balance each other, involving physicians at the very beginning and the very ends of their careers.
Wise Committee:
The new Wise Committee—focused on late-career and retired ACP members, which I introduced in my last letter—is off to a strong start. The group has already met three times and developed a set of guiding principles, which you can review here: Wise Committee Organizational Principles
The committee is planning an in person gathering on Saturday, August 29, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Sterne-Elder Room at St. Joseph's. All members who consider themselves to be at a late stage of their career, retired, or semi-retired are warmly welcome. Lunch will be provided at no cost, thanks to a grant from National ACP.
Watch for a separate email with full details in the coming weeks—but please mark your calendars now!
Residents Committee:
We've had so many residents interested in becoming involved with the ACP this year that we have decided to form a Residents Committee which will be run by the residents with faculty and ACP leadership input. The committee is still just in the planning stages but look for an update in September!
Chat with the Gov
This completely informal program continues to be available for any member who would like a one-on-one conversation about ACP, advocacy, career issues, or just to connect with a colleague. Simply email me at gailmiz@msn.com to schedule a time that works for both of us.
GOVERNANCE
CO ACP has a robust and diverse group of committees headed by talented chairs.
- Finance: Al Steinman
- Scientific Planning: Jen Stichman and Matt Moles
- Membership: Megan Hiles
- Well-Being: Julie Cohen
- CECP (Early Career Physicians): Juan Lessing and Nick Breitnauer
- Resident and Student Activity Planning: Rick Miranda
- Awards: Jen Ziouras
- HPPC (Health and Public Policy): Dave Downs
- Wise Committee: Deb Parsons and Allan Prochazka
- Residents Committee: TBD
Most of these committees would welcome new members. If you are interested in joining, please contact our Executive Director, Colleen Keeku, and she will put you in touch with the corresponding committee chair.
With respect and gratitude, I wish you all a happy, smoke-free summer!
Gail
Gail Mizner, MD, FACP, AAHIVMS
Governor, Colorado Chapter of the American College of Physicians