Award winners celebrated at annual event!
It was an elegant evening and a packed house at our 2025 Medical Staff Meeting & Dinner at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel on Nov. 15! Colleagues and friends gathered to enjoy each other’s company, show appreciation for their team members and celebrate the excellence that continues to inspire us. Our award winners and dozen of pictures from the event are included below.
Congratulations, Ken Lyn-Kew, MD, our 2025 Physician of the Year!
Lyn-Kew, Critical Care Medicine, received the most nominations out of all our nominees this year. Each submission described a physician and leader dedicated to his patients who elevates the care of all around him. One of his nominations is included below:
“Ken cares about SJH and cares for the sickest patients across the entire system. Among all the changes in this year, he is leading the rebuild process -- from respiratory therapists and bedside ICU nursing, to new surgeons and anesthesia. Many seasoned physicians and APPs turn to him because of his expertise in mechanical circulatory support. He never makes anyone feel lesser. He is a great leader of the SJH MCS program - goes to other states to build relationships, participates in shock calls even when not assigned, and is directly responsible for the survival of the most critical patients at SJH.”
Congratulations, Ryan Kemp, PA, our 2025 APP of the Year!
The words submitted on behalf of Kemp, General Surgery, highlight his skill, constancy and drive, shown in the nomination below.
“Ryan’s enthusiasm to learn, motivate his team, and keep everyone from nursing to clinic staff to his surgeons moving forward inspires us all. The surgery patients all know they can rely on him, that he is their advocate and a key part of their healthcare team.”
Ed note: In the last Pulse, in which we listed all nominees, we accidentally omitted one of our extraordinary APPs, Anna Higgins, PA, in Emergency Medicine. The nomination submitted on her behalf describes her as “incredibly hard-working, dedicated, amazingly kind and supportive, clinically strong, calm and reassuring, very thorough and a fantastic team member.” We apologize for the error; congratulations on your nomination!
Congratulations to Mark Ammons, MD, Legends of Leadership Award Winner!
It’s challenging to capture in words the impact Ammons, Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery and member of our Emeritus staff, has had on our hospital’s culture, the long arc of the care we provide this community, and the caliber of the many physicians and surgeons who proudly call him a mentor. He’s precisely why we have a Legends award: His influence is woven into our fabric for the next generation of medical leaders at Saint Joseph.
More than 200 guests packed into our room at the Brown Palace to celebrate these award winners and all nominees, try their luck at the casino games and reconnect with friends and colleagues. Photos from the event are included below.
Thank you to everyone who attended!