DENVER — Two civilian initiatives are coming to Colorado to help veterans and their families deal with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and other problems, the University of Colorado has announced.
A five-year, $38 million gift from the Marcus Foundation will create the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the university’s Anschutz Medical Campus in the Denver suburb of Aurora, helping veterans manage the lingering effects of service-related concussions.
The foundation, based in Atlanta, was established by Bernard Marcus, co-founder of the Home Depot.
The university also announced it will work with the Cohen Veterans Network to establish a mental health clinic for Denver-area veterans and their families. The Cohen Network committed $9.8 million over three years for the clinic.
The network was started by hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen.
Both programs are separate from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is building a $1.7 billion medical center less than a mile from the Anschutz Medical Campus in the Denver suburb of Aurora.
A PTSD treatment center was part of the original plan for the VA hospital, but it was cut from the first phase because the overall project ran far over budget.
Officials of the new civilian programs said they will complement VA services and fill some gaps. Both will offer care to veterans who ineligible for VA services because they received other-than-honorable discharges.
