Hospitals

If you need to make a trip to the emergency room while in Denver, you are likely to end up at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center (1719 E. 19th Ave., 303/839-6000, www.pslmc.com); Denver Health (777 Bannock St., 303/436-6000, www.denverhealth.org), which serves the uninsured; or Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital (1835 Franklin St., 303/837-7111, www.exempla.org), all of which are downtown.

The Children’s Hospital (13123 E. 16th Ave. or I-225 & 16th Ave., Aurora, 720/777-1234, www.thechildrenshospital.org) has relocated from their aging facility near downtown to Aurora, east of Denver. They maintain emergency services at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital and have care centers at a dozen other sites in the metro area.

The University of Colorado Hospital (www.uch.edu) is the state’s academic hospital, with various specialties and locations around the city and state, including the central Anschutz Medical Campus (1635 Ursula St., Aurora, 720/848-2300) on the former Fitzsimmons Army Base.

Pharmacies

A good concierge at your hotel should be able to direct you to the nearest pharmacy. On the 16th Street Mall, which is walking distance from many recommended downtown hotels, there is a Walgreens (801 16th St., 303/571-5314, www.walgreens.com) and a Rite-Aid. There are other Walgreens locations in Highlands (2975 Federal Blvd., 303/433-8911), Capitol Hill (2000 E. Colfax Ave., 303/331-0917), and on South Broadway (120 S. Broadway, 303/722-0771).

Integrative or alternative pharmacies such as Pharmaca have not succeeded in the Denver market (though there are three Pharmaca locations in Boulder); for natural remedies the best bet is to go to Whole Foods in Cherry Creek (2375 E. 1st Ave., 720/941-4100, www.wholefoodsmarket.com) or Capitol Hill (900 E. 11th Ave., 303/832-7701).

Emergency Services

For medical or fire emergencies or to reach the police in an emergency, dial 911. For issues that are not life threatening, contact the Denver Police/Fire/Paramedics Communication Center at 720/913-2000. The Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center can be reached at 303/739-1123 or 800/222-1222.

Metro Denver Crimestoppers can be reached at 720/913-7867.

For future reference, you can find emergency preparedness kits and contact lists at www.denvergov.org.

© Mindy Sink from Moon Denver, 1st Edition