Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment established with $1.7 million gift to the BCH Foundation in support of Trauma Program Development

The Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment will fund programs supporting the Boulder Community Health Foothills Hospital Level II Trauma Center, the first and only in Boulder County, delivering life-saving care in emergent situations.

The Boulder Community Health Foundation (BCHF) is pleased to announce the new Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment in support of advancing critical trauma care services at Boulder Community Health (BCH), the first Level II Trauma Center in Boulder County established in 2013. The endowment was created as part of Stephen Jaqua's legacy, following his passing in April of 2024, thanks to Stephen’s original anonymous $1 million dollar gift followed by an additional $700,000 given by his family in his name. Stephen became a patient of the BCH Trauma program in 2018, and his experience inspired this endowment to help ensure continued excellence in trauma care for years to come. Stephen’s wife Dana shares, “his goal was to be a part of building a trauma department that treated the whole person, not just the physical effect of trauma, but the emotional suffering that always accompanies medical trauma.”

As a Level II Trauma Center, (BCH) offers 24-hour access to the sophisticated resources and expertise required to treat seriously injured patients with multidisciplinary specialty surgeons on-call at all times. This comprehensive, state-of-the-art trauma program cares for the whole patient throughout the continuum of traumatic injury care—from injury prevention, through hospitalization, to transitioning home and reintegrating into the community. A Level II designation is an asset to both BCH and our community, and recent investments in this programming through the Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment are expanding these essential services.

Comprehensive trauma care for our community

In the event of an emergency, the trauma team works closely with local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) partners to ensure timely, life-saving response and a quick transport to their Emergency Department. The Foothills Hospital Emergency Department has readily available surgical specialists in neurosurgery who can treat brain injuries, board-certified orthopedic surgeons to treat broken bones, a Primary Stroke Center to ensure maximum potential for stroke recovery, and even geriatric trauma care specializing in the unique needs of seniors. Once discharged, patients come back regularly for thorough follow-up care through the Trauma Clinic, ensuring their health and safety throughout their recovery and beyond. BCH also offers robust community outreach initiatives to meet patients where they are, providing trauma prevention education including helmet safety, falls prevention and hands-only CPR training.

Caring for the whole patient also means in addition to the physical impacts of traumatic injury, the BCH trauma team considers each patient’s psychological, emotional, and spiritual journey toward recovery. During admission, a group of spiritual care providers works with patients and their families to give patients the tools and resources they need to adjust to their new normal.

The Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment

A patient of Dr. Laura Harmon, BCH Trauma Services Medical Director and Board-Certified Trauma Surgeon, Stephen Jaqua was crushed by a double-wheeled cattle truck at the age of 14, leading to 60 years of chronic ailment. “He lived a strong and vibrant life that was interrupted periodically by the lingering effects of his accident,” states Stephen’s wife, Dana. “He was hospitalized too many times to count and underwent surgery more than 30 times. No-one was more acquainted with the lingering traumatic consequences of physical trauma than he.” After establishing care with Dr. Harmon in 2018, Stephen expressed interest in making a significant contribution to the Trauma program to expand these critical services for others in the community. Dana states, “he would say [to Dr. Harmon), ‘I trust you to handle the medical side, and I want to help with the finances.’”

In 2023, Stephen pledged a one-million-dollar donation to the trauma center. Upon his passing, his family generously contributed an additional $700,000 to further this effort. With the support of the BCH Foundation and hospital leadership, BCH has brought on additional specialists in Vascular Surgery, a Palliative Care Medical Director, and a Geriatric Trauma Medical Director. Part of Stephen’s donation served as the seed funding for our Geriatrics program, stated Dr. Harmon at the 2024 Trauma Symposium, an event made possible by the Stephen Jaqua Trauma Care Endowment. The Endowment has supported many Trauma Care advancements at BCH including:

• Expanded education and training opportunities for trauma staff through the annual Trauma Symposium and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Conference.
• Process and quality improvement with a focus on collaborative workflows to enhance patient care during transitions.
• Increased Physician and Advanced Practice Provider staffing through hiring and strategic partnerships.
• Expansion of the Geriatric Trauma Care Collaboration, making specialty care for our growing elder population more accessible than ever before.
• Established Concussion Clinics to expand access to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) care.
• Partnership with the Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) to offer local recovery resources and support groups through the Boulder TSN Chapter.

“Looking toward the future of Trauma Services at Boulder Community Health, Stephen’s unwavering determination toward furthering access to quality care for others, despite the challenges he faced serves as an inspiration. It is BCH’s vision to maintain the most comprehensive local network of community support for patients to prevent and treat traumatic injury,” says Dr. Ben Keidan, BCH Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

About the Boulder Community Health Foundation 

Established in 1978, the Boulder Community Health (BCH) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Foundation exists to inspire giving in support of BCH to enhance the quality and availability of health care in our community. For over four decades, the generosity of their community has led to more than $80 million raised in support of BCH. Over the past five years, the BCH Foundation has granted over $15 million to BCH in support of various capital and programmatic priorities. 

About Boulder Community Health 

Boulder Community Health is a non-profit, independent, integrated, regional health system with facilities throughout Boulder and Broomfield Counties. Boulder Community Health is known across Colorado for its clinical excellence in heart care, maternity care, stroke care, orthopedic care and cancer care.  BCH’s mission is to provide their community with the highest value health care in an innovative, patient-centric environment. The BCH vision: Partnering to create and care for the healthiest community in the nation. For more information, visit www.bch.org and connect with BCH on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.