In recognition of her innovative work and influential leadership as director of the University of Colorado Anschutz Internal Medicine-Pediatrics (Med-Peds) Residency Program, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) bestowed a Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award to Julie Venci, MD, on February 19 during the 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference in California.
The ACGME sets standards for graduate medical education programs across the nation, and it accredited 13,762 residency and fellowship programs during the last academic year. As part of its annual awards, the council selected only 10 program directors for this prestigious award, which honors those who serve as exemplary role models and represent the best in the graduate medical education field. When Venci learned she would receive the award, she was overcome with a sense of humility.
“What makes this award truly special to me is knowing that my residents were the ones who nominated me,” says Venci, who has led the med-peds residency program since 2018. “I care deeply for every individual who enters our program. I want them to feel seen, cared for, and celebrated. To have that care reflected back to me through this nomination means more than I can adequately put into words.”
Venci also credits Geoffrey Connors, MD, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and the ACGME designated institutional official at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, as well as the entire GME office for putting her nomination forward to the ACGME.
Although Venci was shocked to receive the award, the news did not surprise Julia Limes, MD, director of the CU Anschutz Internal Medicine Residency Program. Limes and Venci work closely together to ensure that med-peds residents have an excellent training experience, and Limes describes Venci as someone who is dedicated, tenacious, and “does everything with excellence.”
“Dr. Venci has done an incredible job crafting the med-peds program into what it is today — one of the top programs in the country,” Limes says. “She leads her team to continuously innovate and design the best experience for their residents, while contributing meaningfully to their communities and providing outstanding care to their patients.”
Venci learned the importance of service at an early age from her mother, who immigrated from Ireland to the United States to find work, and her father, a refugee from Hungary. As a first-generation college student, she was drawn to medicine because it was intellectually challenging and emotionally rewarding.
When she discovered it was possible to receive dual training in both adult and pediatric care through a med-peds residency program, it was a natural fit.
“I wanted to provide comprehensive primary care for the entire family unit,” she says. “There is something awesome about being able to care for a human being across the entire span of life, from birth to death.”
In 2010, after completing a med-peds residency program at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois, Venci and her husband, Kevin Carney, MD, moved to Colorado so he could complete a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Venci began working as a med-peds physician at Denver Health, and she was eventually approached by Joseph Kay, MD, a professor at the CU Anschutz Department of Pediatrics Section of Cardiology, to start the first med-peds continuity clinic.
“He worked alongside Drs. Suzanne Brandenburg and Adam Rosenberg to launch the first med-peds program in Colorado. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been here from the start,” Venci says.
After serving as director of the continuity clinic, Venci became the associate program director in 2016. Two years later, she became the program director with a mission to be an authentic and transparent leader.
“Watching this program grow from an idea into a thriving community has been one of the great privileges of my career,” she says.
Venci explains that although there are only about 72 med-peds programs in the country, CU Anschutz graduates are uniquely equipped to care for patients with complex medical conditions, especially those navigating the difficult transitions between pediatric and adult care.
As program director, her goals for the residency program are to continue to find meaningful ways to support residents as they develop their professional identities.
“Beyond clinical excellence, my priority has been to build a program that empowers residents to be advocates and change-makers,” she says. “Now more than ever, physicians must use their voices to safeguard science, rebuild trust in public health, and dismantle health disparities.”
One of the ways Venci helps residents build the critical skills they need to be effective leaders is through the program’s community engagement work. This work comes in many forms, such as a partnership with the nonprofit Re:Vision to create a community garden near Ruby Hill in southwest Denver, as well as developing a “produce prescription program” for patients facing food insecurity. Residents also lead many events at their continuity clinic at the Denver Health Federico Peña Clinic (a Federally Qualified Health Center), including an annual back-to-school event, trunk or treat event, and holiday party for patients.
“Alongside Dr. Carolina Gutierrez, the amazing associate program director for our residency program, we’ve integrated community engagement directly into their training,” Venci says. “Seeing a resident head to the garden after a long hospital shift to harvest vegetables with local kids — and hearing them say it ‘fills their bucket’ — is exactly why I prioritize this work in our training program.”
Venci has also helped create a curriculum that addresses complex issues like health disparities and building trust in medicine. These lessons often involve conversations and collaborations with community members, particularly those who have historically been marginalized by the health care system. To help residents gain advocacy skills in legislation and policy making, the curriculum also involves close collaborations with the Colorado American Academy of Physicians and American College of Physicians.
“We aren't just training doctors,” Venci says. “We are improving the landscape of care for vulnerable populations across Colorado and beyond.”
Knowing that residency training can be difficult, Venci strives to be part of each resident’s support system, saying that her most important work is “walking alongside these individuals as they navigate the complexities of becoming a physician.”
“I want our residents to feel they are joining a family, not just a program — a community that supports them for four years and remains a home for them long after they graduate,” she says.
Though her list of accomplishments is long, Venci says her proudest achievement is seeing the success of her residents. This is especially true when it comes to her leadership team, many of whom are graduates of the program.
“Seeing our own alumni choose to stay and lead is the ultimate testament to the community we’ve built,” she says. “Their impact can be seen across our hospital systems, from Dr. Aaron Manning’s development of an inpatient med-peds service at the University of Colorado Hospital, to Dr. Nick Breitnauer’s Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at Denver Health, to Dr. Eleanor Comfort’s Adult Special Care Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado.”
Though her name is on the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, Venci credits her success to her leadership team, including “the most wonderful program coordinator” Akemi Iwanabe, and the residents who inspire her daily.
“To me, this award acknowledges that being a teacher is more than a simple transfer of knowledge,” she says. “It recognizes that meaningful leadership and mentorship depend on caring for residents as people first — investing in their humanity so they can thrive in their profession.”