Thank you to everyone who attended Lutheran Hospital’s 2026 Medical Staff Meeting & Dinner at Buffalo Rose in Golden last week! We celebrated clinical excellence and physician leadership, and honored those who’ve demonstrated remarkable loyalty and service to this medical staff, as well as to our patients and our community.
During the evening, we recognized our medical staff award winners. We list them below with the nominations received on their behalf. Congrats them and thank you to everyone who nominated a colleague!
2026 Physician of the Year: Jerry Miklin, MD, cardiovascular disease
“Dr. Miklin has been on staff at Lutheran for almost 40 years and continues to provide amazing and comprehensive care for his patients.”
“For greater than 30 years, Dr. Miklin has been very willing to help with complicated cardiac cases in an urgent manner to help in the care of patients. He has always been readily available to answer questions, see patients urgently and give timely feedback. He goes above and beyond what is needed to take care of patients. I hold him in the highest esteem as a cardiologist and a doctor!”
“He’s one of the best physicians I’ve ever met. His patients love him, he’s a skilled proceduralist, and he gives everyone the same level of respect.”
2026 APP of the Year: Beth Eldridge, NP, general surgery
“Stellar attitude. One of the best APPs I’ve ever worked with.”
“Beth Eldridge exemplifies Lutheran’s core values in her daily effort to provide patient-centered care. She is quick to connect with patients by finding common interests or by listening to their personal story. She advocates for patients' needs. She is an efficient worker, helping to move patients along their healthcare journey by completing notes and orders in a timely fashion. She is enjoyable to work with, quick to make a joke or tell a funny story. She brings years of experience working in many different areas of the hospital to effectively coordinate care with nurses, case managers and therapists. She is an asset to the team and we are grateful to have her.”
2026 Nurse of the Year: Paul Ericson, RN, Lutheran’s OR
“Paul is outstanding with patient families. He calls out to them regularly from the OR with updates, markedly reducing their anxiety, which creates a much smoother process for them, for the patient, for everyone, in transitioning patients from the OR to the ICU. Paul's presence, initiative and compassion make the patient's experience and the surgeon's experience better every time.”
Congratulations to our award winners and our deepest appreciation to all members of our medical staff who provide the safest, highest-quality care to our patients and who offer their time and energy to strengthen Lutheran’s exceptional medical staff culture.