DENVER, June 24, 2026 – The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) recently honored Senate Kyle Mullica from Thornton with the Bully Pulpit for Health Care Advocacy award in recognition of the Senator’s significant work during the 2026 legislative session to advance meaningful health care policy.

CHA’s Bully Pulpit Award for Health Care Advocacy recognizes outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of Colorado hospitals and patients. This award celebrates a courageous leader whose voice and collaborative approach have advanced health care policy, elevated critical issues, and driven meaningful improvements in health care across Colorado.

As the only nurse currently serving in the Colorado General Assembly, Sen. Mullica chaired the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and guided numerous health policy bills through the legislative process and to the governor’s desk. Specifically, this session, Sen. Mullica developed and sponsored bills to help reduce the regulatory burden that hospitals face, to fund the health insurance affordability enterprise, to ensure access to emergency medical services across the state, to protect patient access to vital services, and more.

“In our work at CHA, we interact with many elected officials, and we appreciate their service,” said Jeff Tieman, CHA president and CEO. “Some leaders truly recognize that hospitals are not just buildings but the beating heart of every community in Colorado. They understand that when a rural hospital closes, a community loses more than a facility. They know that the nurse at the bedside and the CEO in the boardroom are on the same team, fighting for the same thing. Sen. Mullica is one of these leaders. He always shows up. He always engages. He always brings his full self, as a legislator and as a nurse, to every conversation about health care in this state.”

“In nursing, we talk about something called presence,” said CHA Board Chair and Senior Vice President for the Western Region of Banner Health Margo Karsten. “It is not a technique or a protocol. It is the decision to show up fully for the person in front of you. Sen. Mullica has brought that same quality of presence to the Colorado legislature. He sees the people behind the policy. He sees the patient behind the bill number. He sees the family behind the budget line. And he has spent his career – at the bedside and at the capitol – showing up fully for them, even when it is hard and even when no one is watching. That is the mark of a nurse. And it is the mark of a leader.”

About the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA)

CHA is the leading voice of Colorado’s hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible, and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers, and the general public. Through CHA, Colorado’s hospitals and health systems work together in their shared commitment to improve health and health care in Colorado. Learn more at www.cha.com.

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