CU Anschutz Physicians Dominate 5280 Magazine's 2026 Top Doctors List

The annual list, derived from peer nominations across the Denver metropolitan area, underscores a significant concentration of expertise at the Aurora-based academic medical campus. CU Anschutz faculty physicians secured 100% of the top rankings in specialized disciplines, including pediatric critical care, cardiology, and clinical genetics. Beyond pediatrics, these doctors represent the majority of honorees in emergency medicine, pulmonary disease, and rheumatology.

John H. Sampson, dean of the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, noted that the achievement reflects the institution's capacity to address medicine's most difficult challenges. The recognized faculty includes innovators like psychiatrist Thida Thant, who integrates mental health into complex medical treatments, and ophthalmologist Malik Kahook, a specialist known for developing vision-preserving technologies. Other notable figures include orthopedic surgeon Evalina Burger and melanoma expert Sapna Patel, whose work in immunotherapy is expanding clinical trial access. These clinicians operate within a network that includes UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado, institutions that collectively manage nearly three million patient visits annually.