The Medical Center of Aurora Donates Bicycles to Kindergarten Class

AURORA, Colo., May 21, 2015 – The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) partnered with Wish For Wheels to provide bicycles for kindergarteners at a local Title I elementary school in Aurora Public Schools this week.

“We strive to impact the community in a positive way beyond providing care for illness and injury,” said Richard Hammett, CEO of The Medical Center of Aurora. “We want to promote healthy lifestyles and this was a great opportunity to do that.”

The hospital and its employees donated more than $10,000 to purchase the bikes. Hospital leaders and staff assembled 101 bikes Tuesday morning as a teambuilding exercise. After passing quality inspection, the bikes and helmets were presented to every graduating kindergartener at Wheeling Elementary yesterday afternoon as part of the school’s continuation ceremony.

“This event was about a community taking care of itself. Today, parents saw their neighbors doing something for their children they didn’t have to do. It’s what we believe in as teachers and what we’re teaching our kids. We give our sincere thanks to The Medical Center of Aurora staff and community,” Ramone Carson, principal of Wheeling Elementary, said.

Wish For Wheels is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing children with their own bicycles to teach healthy living habits.

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.

The Medical Center of Aurora
1501 S Potomac St, Aurora, CO 80012
Laura Stephens
Laura.stephens@hcahealthcare.com
Office: 303.873.5699
Cell: 303.591.5635

This release was published on openPR.