Community Benefit Partners

Each year Vail Health partners with multiple local organizations that benefit our community and align with identified community health needs and feedback. These partnerships support community health initiatives through educational programs, discounted medical care, local organization funding and more.

High School Job Shadow Program

Vail Health partners closely with Eagle County Schools to support the education of students of all ages. The high school job shadow program welcomes students to the main hospital, where they learn about a variety of healthcare career opportunities. The students visit the pre-op surgery suite, where they learn about surgical tech and registered nurse careers. The nurses in the Patient Care Unit give students a hands-on experience of drawing blood and performing chest compressions on a teaching simulation mannequin. Talking with EMTs in the Emergency Department opens students' eyes to ways of breaking into the medical field without having to go to a 4-year college. Staff enjoy the experience as much as the students, as they love sharing knowledge and getting students excited about a career in healthcare.

STEM Grant Funds Olympiad

Since 2012, Vail Health has partnered with the Education Foundation of Eagle County to fund classroom grants for Equity, STEM and Arts & Music. This program empowers teachers to offer innovative and engaging curriculum that ensures successful outcomes for every student, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Each year, Vail Health has given over $15,000 to teachers for projects and curriculum dedicated to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The goal is to inspire students to consider careers in healthcare. In 2023, funds were used to send 34 students from the Eagle County School District to the Colorado Science Olympiad competition. Mandy Bolla, a science teacher at Gypsum Creek Middle School and Olympiad coach describes, “The Science Olympiad competition provides a meaningful audience outside of school for students to display their learning. It was amazing to see their motivation increase when their initial attempts failed because they had a purpose to figure it out besides just working for a grade.” Congratulations to all the students who qualified and participated! 

Radon Action Month

Did you know that 40 percent of Eagle County homes have radon gas levels in excess of the EPA recommended action levels? In an effort to help prevent lung cancer from exposure to radon gas, Vail Health’s Shaw Cancer Center partners with Walking Mountains and Eagle County’s Environmental Health Department to raise awareness and offer free radon test kits. January is Radon Action Month and a perfect time to test homes for radon because windows and doors are typically closed. Find out more about radon testing in your home here.

Community Arts, Athletics & Education

Vail Health has long supported the Vail Valley Foundation. From sponsoring the Black Diamond Ball, which raises money to address community needs and provide leadership in arts, athletics, and education to partnering with YouthPower365 to mentor their Young Professionals in Healthcare Club, Vail Health’s support of the Vail Valley Foundation helps them meet their mission of “enhancing the quality of life in the Vail Valley and showcasing the community to a global audience through arts, athletics and education.” The Vail Health Foundation also partners with the VVF to offer employee dependent scholarships to children and dependents of Vail Health employees in support of continuing education.

Growth and Development through Ski Racing

Vail Health and Buddy Werner League have partnered for over eight years in helping local children enjoy the sport of skiing. Run by volunteers, this program is built on locals helping locals. Vail Health's funding support provides the racers with medals for each race. This program helps children grow through their core themes: safety, sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity, hard work, adventure and humility.

Community Housing Initiatives

Vail Health has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for several years, providing cash donations, as well as staff time. Vail Health's executive leaders have served on the Habitat for Humanity Board over the years, and staff have volunteered their time to help build homes. Vail Health employees live in Habitat-built homes in Gypsum, and Vail Health collaborates with Habitat for Humanity on larger community housing initiatives throughout the county.

Support Through Hardships

When members of our intimate Eagle River Valley experience hardships, Vail Valley Charitable Fund (VVCF) offers support to make things a little easier to manage. Vail Health supports VVCF to help locals overcome financial burdens from serious setbacks. Vail Health has donated more than $40,000 to VVCF to help people get back on their feet. For more information on the VVCF direct-aid grants, please visit VVCF.org/apply-for-aid.

Youth Emergency Preparedness

Vail Health is proud to partner with representatives from ambulance, law enforcement, fire service, mountain rescue and other emergency service agencies to host Camp 911, an all-day camp for 9-11 year-olds that teaches a variety of rescue and safety procedures. To learn more about Camp 911 visit MountainRec.org.

Vail Health Supports Local 4-H Participants

During the Eagle County Fair & Rodeo, local youth participated in 4-H projects ranging from sewing and cooking to showing livestock they had raised like pigs, sheep, goats and rabbits. To support the hard work and effort of their projects, Vail Health donated $5,000 to 4-H club members to help further their education. 

“Submitting a 4-H project is a huge time commitment, both on the side of the 4-H member as well as their parents, and we are proud to recognize the dedication of the 4-Hers and their families with a donation to their future projects or education,” said Will Cook, Vail Health President and CEO. “4-H teaches responsibility, leadership and hard work, helping create upstanding members of our community. Congratulations to each member on their outstanding work.”

The 33 recipients varied in age from 9-17 and showcased through their projects the 4-H values of Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.

 “We are very thankful for this donation,” said Jona Nykreim, certified physician assistant at Colorado Mountain Medical. “Callaway is nine and has grown so much through 4-H already.  Donations such as this from Vail Health help her to invest in her projects moving forward and eventually build an account for college.”

The 4-H donation is part of Vail Health’s more than $20 million annual community giveback program. 

Centralized Support Services in Summit County

Vail Health recently donated funds to FIRC to help build the Sol Center in Breckenridge. The Sol Center is a collaboration between a few funding partners to help have one centralized place for food, clothing and mental health services in Summit County. FIRC & Building Hope empower people through education and support to help them manage the challenges of housing, parenting, mental health & healthcare so locals in Summit County can thrive. They will be sharing the Sol Center when it opens in Fall of 2025. Learn more about this initiative at https://summitfirc.org/sol-center/.

Victim First Care Support

Vail Health donated generously to the campaign to build the Bright Future Foundation's BrightHouse, and continues to provide support for its Victim First Care program. An anonymous survivor said, "Victim First Care, a program of Vail Health and Bright Future Foundation, provided the immediate medical care and support I needed to stabilize my life. BrightHouse gave me the safe space and time to heal. Today, I am strong and grateful."