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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2017
Contact: Myung Kim, mkim@rmyclinics.org, 720-360-4325
RMYC Pediatrician Honored with Frist Humanitarian Award from The Medical Center of Aurora
Dr. Alfie Meister, a pediatrician at Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, was honored with the Frist Humanitarian Award by The Medical Center of Aurora. This award recognizes individuals who have shown extraordinary levels of kindness and service without seeking attention for their accomplishments.
“We all dream of a day when there is no need for ‘humanitarian’ work, when all children have a secure roof over their heads, enough food to eat, good schools to go to and lives filled with equal opportunities and plentiful love,” Dr. Meister, MD, said during her April 26 acceptance speech at The Medical Center of Aurora. “Until that day, however, we will all continue to do this work that is so needed.”
“Our kids – our kids right here in Aurora, have all of the talents, the gifts and the potential of any kids born into more privileged circumstances and we need to fight for them, believe in them,” Dr. Meister said.
Dr. Meister has provided care to infants and youth at RMYC’s Aurora clinic since 2003. An advocate of early childhood literacy efforts, Dr. Meister leads the organization’s partnership with Reach Out and Read, which provides books and encouragement about reading to infants and toddlers and their parents. In addition to her work at RMYC, Dr. Meister provides care to newborns at the Medical Center of Aurora and volunteers with her daughters at the Colfax Community Network, an organization that supports children who are experiencing housing insecurity and staying in motels along Colfax Avenue in Denver and Aurora.
“Dr. Meister is a deeply talented physician who has always been committed to doing more to support our patients,” said Jessica Dunbar, RMYC Executive Director. “In addition to providing exemplary medical care, Dr. Meister is a champion for breastfeeding, early childhood literacy and celebrating the academic achievements of our patients. This is a perfect award for Dr. Meister and we are proud to have her on our staff.”
The Medical Center of Aurora is part of the HealthONE system, which has awarded the Frist Humanitarian Award annually since 1972 to individuals “who demonstrate a level of commitment and caring that goes beyond everyday acts of kindness, and who inspire us with their compassion, dedication and spirit.”
About Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics: Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics is a non-profit organization that provides accessible, affordable, high-quality health care and support programs to children across Colorado, regardless of their family’s insurance status or ability to pay. During its 20-year history, RMYC has grown from a single clinic to one of the largest pediatric health practices in Colorado, serving more than 23,000 infants and youth at three medical offices and nine school-based health centers in Metro Denver, Fort Collins, the west slope and southwest Colorado. Our experienced professionals focus on meeting all of the child’s health needs with medical and dental care, behavioral health counseling and healthy lifestyle programs. We also partner with dozens of organizations to connect kids and families to the services they need. More than 85% of our patients live in low-income households. In 2016, RMYC provided more than $800,000 of health care services to more than 1,700 uninsured patients whose families were unable to pay for care. More information is available at rmyclinics.org.
About The Medical Center of Aurora
The Medical Center of Aurora, the first community hospital in the Denver Metro area to receive two-time Magnet designation for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), is an acute care hospital with specialization in cardiovascular services, neurosciences, surgery, orthopedics and women’s services. The Medical Center of Aurora is comprised of four campuses in Aurora and Centennial, Colo., including the Main Campus, located at Interstate 225 and Mississippi, the North Campus Behavioral Health facility, Centennial Medical Plaza and Saddle Rock ER. The Main Campus facility is a Level II Trauma Center with Primary Stroke Certification and Chest Pain Center accreditation, serving the eastern metro area and I-70 corridor. Licensed for 346 beds, The Medical Center of Aurora was recognized as the #4 hospital in the Denver metro area and the #4 hospital in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report (2014-2015), and was one of only nine hospitals in the country to receive the Lantern Award for Excellence in Emergency Room Care by the Emergency Nurses Association (2013). The Medical Center of Aurora and its affiliated campuses are part of the HealthONE System of Excellence.
About HEALTHONE
HealthONE is the largest healthcare system in the metro Denver area with more than 10,000 employees. As part of the HealthONE family, The Medical Center of Aurora, North Suburban Medical Center, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Rose Medical Center, Sky Ridge Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital work together to provide a higher level of care. In addition, our family of services includes five hospital free-standing emergency departments and numerous ambulatory surgery centers, occupational medicine clinics, physician practices, imaging centers, and AIRLIFE-DENVER, which provides critical care air and ground transportation across a 10-state region.
