Holli Baumunk, Vice President of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation for the past seven years, has been named President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) July 12.  An accomplished economic development executive, Baumunk was chosen last year as Colorado’s Economic Developer of the Year by the Economic Development Council of Colorado, and is well known to many in the Colorado Bioscience Industry, having worked closely with the CBSA on numerous initiatives over the years.

Please click here to view the full press release

University of Colorado Hospital is planning a $400 million expansion on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora that will bring 1,000 permanent new jobs to the area.

Meanwhile, the hospital also is planning a $20 million expansion of the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

Both expansions are necessary because demand for services has increased substantially, said Bruce Schroffel, the hospital’s president and chief executive.

“The hospital is seemingly too small for the community,” Schroffel said. “We want to make it a destination from a national perspective and serve the entire Rocky Mountain region. As we’ve gotten more specialized, we’ve seen more patients from surrounding states.”    Read entire article

By Margaret Jackson
The Denver Post

Several Denver-area hospitals have been rated among the nation’s best in various specialities in the latest ranking by U.S. News & World Report.

The report separately ranks adult and pediatric medical services.

Denver’s National Jewish Health is ranked No. 1 in the nation for pulmonology, and No. 15 for pediatric pulmonology.

The Children’s Hospital in Aurora garnered three top five rankings among pediatrics centers: No. 4 for diabetes and endocrinology, No. 5 in gastroenterology, and also No. 5 in pulmonology.

Read more: Colorado hospitals rated tops in nation by U.S. News - Denver Business Journal

Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, Fitzsimons BioBusiness Partners, Colorado BioScience Association and University of Colorado present:

Core Lab Show - June 15, 2010

When: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Where: BioScience Park Center Lobby/Amgen Boardroom/12635 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, CO

No Cost to attend, but you must RSVP to:  events@colobio.com

Click here for more details

State’s Leading Business and Civic Leaders Heading to Washington, D.C. to Advocate on Behalf of Colorado’s Business Community and Top Industries

Accelerate Colorado announced today that it will be conducting its annual business mission to the nation’s capital, D.C. 2010, on May 10-12.  The group comprised of 100 statewide business and civic leaders, elected officials, and targeted industry executives, will be meeting directly with all members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation as well as other key decision makers at the federal level such as Congressman Steny Hoyer (D – Maryland), the House Majority Leader; Major General James Poss, Director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Strategy, Integration and Doctrine, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance for the U.S. Air Force; and Peter Rogoff, Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration; and others.

Constituents of this year’s trip include representatives from Aurora, the City and County of Denver, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Lakewood, Westminster, Commerce City, Adams County, Arapahoe County, Douglas County, El Paso County, Jefferson County, Weld County, Colorado State Legislators, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and top private industry leaders from around the state.

“Bringing a statewide group of this caliber to Washington to meet face-to-face with our Congressional leadership really puts Colorado’s business and industry needs in the spotlight,” stated Accelerate Colorado President and CEO, Wendy Mitchell.  “We seek to make our priorities known, so that Colorado receives crucial federal support for projects and programs that drive the state’s economy.”

Accelerate Colorado has been focusing on the following key policy areas this year that the constituents will address in Washington, D.C.:

Aerospace and Defense - The aerospace and defense industry is a crucial component of Colorado’s technology economy with 25,870 private-sector aerospace and defense workers with an average salary of $107,720 that develop products from launch vehicles and satellites to command and control software, sensors, and navigation equipment.  Development of the Orion crew capsule by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, a $4.1 billion initial contract that employs nearly 1,000 full-time equivalent people, is a major component of this industry.  Constituents of D.C. 2010 will advocate for Orion’s intermediate-term use as an emergency escape vehicle for the International Space Station and support the use of Orion’s technology as the foundation for the development of a deep space exploration vehicle.  Participants will also communicate support to grow Colorado’s military assets such as Buckley AFB, Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Carson, which form a critical part of our national defense and our state’s economy.

Bioscience – Colorado has approximately 17,150 private-sector bioscience workers in nearly 650 companies made-up primarily of medical device and instrument, as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms.  A strong federal investment in medical research is critical for the health and prosperity of Colorado’s bioscience industry.  Constituents will request $500,000 of funding in the President’s FY 2011 budget to invest in the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostics Development (CID4).  They will also voice their support for the President’s proposal to increase the overall National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget by 3.2 percent to $32.1 billion in FY 2011.  For every $1 million invested in NIH, more than 30 jobs are created/sustained.  Constituents will also ask the Administration and Congress to support a consensus-based approach to patent law reform, which would improve the patent system in ways that would benefit all sectors of the U.S. economy by enhancing patent quality and the efficiency, objectivity, predictability, and transparency of the patent system.

Transportation – Accelerate Colorado’s transportation focus is on regional improvements that will help serve Colorado with a coordinated and multi-modal transportation network.  All of the priorities have regional support and significant benefit to the safety and mobility of Colorado citizens, goods and services.  Accelerate Colorado’s key priorities for Highway Priority Project (HPP) consideration include:

1.    I-225 Widening and Colfax/17th Place Interchange: funding to complete the construction of this interchange to serve the demands of the Anschutz Medical Campus and Fitzsimons Life Science District estimated at $21.9 million; and funding for the next phase of widening of I-225 from Mississippi to Second Avenue to relieve congestion estimated at $32 million.
2.    I-25 and Arapahoe Interchange: funding for design and phased construction of this significant regional interchange, estimated at $55 million.
3.    FasTracks: continued federal partnership in funding for the build-out of this regional transportation project; federal contribution estimated at $1.4 billion.
4.    Tower Road and Peña Boulevard Interchange: funding for the design and engineering of the missing on-ramp of the interchange to enhance the economic development of Commerce City; total cost estimated at $10.1 million.
5.    Powers Boulevard and Stewart Interchange: funding for the construction of this interchange to serve as the entrance to Peterson Air Force Base; total cost estimated at $45 million.

Additionally, D.C. 2010 Constituents will advocate positions on issues related to energy, water, and veterans affairs.  Accelerate Colorado is proud to partner with the following organizations that make D.C. 2010 possible:  Arapahoe County (Presenting Sponsor), Merrick & Company (Platinum Sponsor), The Boeing Company, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, City of Aurora, Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, Forest City, Inc., Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Oakwood Homes, LLC, University of Colorado Denver, and Xcel Energy (Gold Sponsors).

About Accelerate Colorado and D.C. 2010
Accelerate Colorado is a partnership between business and local governments in Colorado that works with the U.S. Congress and key federal leadership on issues critical to the state’s economic development, top industries, and business community.  Each year, Accelerate Colorado conducts an exclusive business mission to Washington, D.C. comprised of 100 statewide business and civic leaders, elected officials, and targeted industry executives.  This year’s business mission, D.C. 2010, brings a large, influential group to Washington to meet directly with Colorado’s Senators and Representatives and other key decision makers at the federal level.  For more information on Accelerate Colorado and D.C. 2010, please visit www.acceleratecolorado.com.