EPH ED physician Dr. Thomas Leigh is retiring

A person with glasses and gray hair wearing a medical uniform is seated indoors, smiling and raising their hand in a waving gesture. An office environment with wooden cabinets and a computer monitor is visible.
Dr. Thomas Leigh is retiring from Estes Park Health after a 39-year career in medicine. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Thomas Leigh)

ED physician Dr. Thomas Leigh is retiring from Estes Park Health. The following is his message to the hospital and the community:

"I will retire after 39 years from the practice of medicine on September 1, 2024. In addition to my family, I am grateful for so many things.

A man in a red shirt and cap stands next to a woman with long gray hair in an outdoor setting with ancient ruins and a mountain in the background.

Dr. Leigh and his wife Anna will be retiring in Estes Park. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Thomas Leigh)

First, thanks to the roughly 120,000 people who have entrusted me with their health and allowed me to care for them. It has been an indescribable honor.

Second, my most sincere thanks to all those who have helped me along the way:

  • The astonishing nurses and EMS professionals whose courage, dedication,
    determination, resilience, intelligence, and patience have helped them to provide
    extraordinary comfort and care for our patients. I am moved to tears when I think of
    how hard you work, how much you care, how good you are, and how many times
    you have kept me out of trouble. ED nurses are hands down, the best nurses in
    the medical universe, and our EPH medics are second to none.
  • My colleagues: Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Social Workers, and Case Managers who have helped me and taught me, when I was in over my head, which was not really rare.
  • My mentors at the University of Colorado, the University of Michigan, and Denver General Hospital.
  • And, of course, all the hospital support staff, from IT to housekeeping, to facilities, maintenance, materials management, billing, and administration.
  • And finally, to my partners, Drs. Chris Daley, Scott Chew, and John Meyer who are some of the best ED docs I’ve ever worked with.

A person wearing a blue bandana and sunglasses stands on a rocky, mountainous trail with a town and forested landscape in the background. They have a large backpack on their shoulders.I have been supremely lucky to end my career in Estes Park. Anna and I are so fortunate that she had the good sense to insist that we move here from Alaska.

Estes Park Health is a gem of a critical access hospital. We have a very good and very committed medical staff. It has been, and hopefully always will be, an essential part of this community and a critical service for our residents and our many visitors.

In July, two young residency trained, board certified ED physicians, Paige Machado, MD, and Zachary Blea, MR, will join Estes Park Emergency Associates. Please welcome them and support them as you have me and Anna. We look forward to retirement in Estes Park. We will always be available to help any of our neighbors in need. Please let us know if there is anything we can do."

A person dressed in red winter gear is snowshoeing on a trail through a snowy forested mountain landscape. A Halloween skeleton prop in hospital scrubs sits at a computer desk with a sign that reads, "Epic - Go Live! I'm ready." The scene is in an office with medical equipment and multiple monitors.