The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health, CU Anschutz Medical Campus, held its fifth annual Partner Awards Ceremony, honoring the dedication and achievements of key partners in the field of occupational health and safety. This year’s event celebrated the impactful work of organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the mission of improving worker health, safety, and well-being.
Partner of the Year Award: Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention was awarded the 2024 Partner of the Year Award for their outstanding efforts in addressing the opioid crisis in Colorado. Since its inception in 2013, the Consortium has coordinated the state’s response to the misuse and abuse of prescription medications, including opioids. Their collaborative approach, involving federal agencies, state health departments, and other key stakeholders, has led to the development of educational programs and guidelines that have trained thousands of healthcare providers across the state.
In 2021, the Consortium partnered with CHWE to launch the Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative (RFWI), which supports employers in addressing behavioral health and substance use disorders in the workplace. This initiative has since engaged 268 Colorado employers and led to the passage of a new state law establishing a voluntary Recovery Friendly Workplace certification program.
“We really can’t tell you how meaningful it is to us to receive this kind of recognition from such an important and valued partner.” said Rob Valuck, the Consortium's Executive Director. José Esquibel, the Consortium’s Associate Director, added, “We are so grateful for this opportunity to work with the Center for Health, Work, and Environment in this very important work. [RFWI] is going to help save lives. It can help stabilize folks in their recovery and make it meaningful for them to be contributing members of the community.”
Gina Olberding, Assistant Director of the Consortium, remarked, “We knew that we needed to include more people in this work, and so, we’ve learned a lot from you [CHWE] regarding employers and including the business community. Your work has really helped to advance and strengthen the work we’ve done.”
Community Impact Award: Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County
The Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County received the 2024 Community Impact Award for its commitment to promoting economic development and providing resources to Latino business owners. Throughout the past year, the Chamber has hosted over 40 bilingual events, reaching more than 350 Latino business owners with educational webinars, networking opportunities, and one-on-one support.
The Chamber has also partnered with CHWE to deliver bilingual Total Worker Health® training, focusing on mental health and chronic disease prevention in the workplace. This collaboration has empowered Latino entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools to enhance workplace safety and well-being.
“We are honored to be recognized for our efforts to support the Latino business community,” said Carla Colin, President of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County. Laura Malpica, Bilingual Business Support Coordinator for the Chamber, expressed, “It’s very fulfilling being recognized for such an important and impactful award. We hope this partnership continues growing and doing good things for our community.”
The Chamber’s Events and Marketing Coordinator, Diana Bustillos, added, “Thank you for the support and for making our events better. Let’s keep working together and making an impact for the community.”
Individual Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Cecile Rose
Cecile Rose, MD, MPH was honored with the 2024 Individual Lifetime Achievement Award for her distinguished career in pulmonary medicine, occupational medicine, and public health. A pulmonologist and professor at National Jewish Health and the Colorado School of Public Health, Dr. Rose has made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding and treatment of occupational lung diseases over the past 40+ years.
Rose’s work has addressed a range of issues, from the health impacts of military burn pit exposures to occupational diseases in various industries. Her mentorship and collaborative spirit have been instrumental in training the next generation of occupational health leaders.
CHWE Director and Distinguished Professor Lee Newman, MD, MA, began an introduction to Dr. Rose’s background with clear admiration: “Dr. Rose is the consummate physician, an expert in pulmonary medicine, occupational medicine, and public health. And I'm going to suggest that you Google her…Dr. Rose’s dedication to improving worker health and safety has profoundly impacted countless lives.”
Greg Downey, MD, FRCPC, a colleague, shared more of Rose’s incredible impact, “She's made major contributions in the field of Occupational and Environmental diseases, including pneumoconiosis, silicosis, and coworkers pneumoconiosis, and those related to military deployment in Southwest Asia…” Downey continued, “So, Cecile, from a professional standpoint, thank you, you have done an amazing job in this field. We don't want you to go away after this honor. We want you to continue. But thank you, from the bottom of our collective hearts.”
Silpa Krefft, MD, MPH, one of Rose’s former trainees, highlighted Cecile’s commitment to mentorship: “Cecile has trained countless people…she's aided multiple mentees and received career development awards and other pilot research awards with an occupational health focus. Krefft continued, “I also want to highlight how amazing of a human being she is as well. She's honestly the best example of someone who promotes in her daily life all the principles of worker health, public health, promotion, and prevention that we all care about”
In her acceptance speech, Rose thanked her colleagues, “Thank you… working with you all has been my great privilege and a great gift…I've been so fortunate to work with these brilliant and passionate up-and-coming health and safety professionals. I've always thought of collaboration, and I can only hope that my colleagues, who are also my friends, have found working together as rewarding as I have.”
Rose concluded her speech by thanking past patients, “I have to acknowledge and thank the thousands of patients…I have learned so much from lifeguards, miners, stone fabricators, military veterans, flavoring workers, agricultural workers, foundry workers, and just so many, so many patients who, over almost 40 years, have taught me so much, and motivated me to mobilize my outrage and my anger about preventable work-related disease into this lifetime of rewarding medicine and public health. Thank you.”
The CHWE Partner Awards highlights the importance of collaboration and community in advancing occupational health and safety. The Center for Health, Work & Environment is proud to work alongside these exemplary partners and looks forward to continuing to build partnerships that make a difference in workers' lives.
About the Center for Health, Work & Environment
The Center for Health, Work & Environment is an academic center within the Colorado School of Public Health. The Center is one of 10 Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health® and houses the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC), one of 18 centers of its kind supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The Center team works with faculty, students, and community partners to advance worker health, safety, and well-being. The Center is committed to developing education, research, and public health practice initiatives that combat the problems of racial and environmental inequity and injustice facing workers. To effectively address the future of work, we aim to ensure a healthier and safer workplace for all.
Main offices for the Center are located at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado.
Please visit CHWE's website for more information on its initiatives and to stay connected with its work.
