It’s been more than three years since we decided to launch 5280 Health. Back then, in early 2010, our theory was that a health-minded city like Denver would embrace a publication that combined 5280’s longtime commitment to service journalism with a mission to analyze the overall well-being of the Mile High City and Colorado as a whole. But no matter how much market research we conduct or how well we think we know our city, launching a new magazine is always a bit of a gamble. Our first two issues of this once-a-year publication proved our initial hunch to be spot-on: The 2011 and 2012 editions sold extremely well on local newsstands, and the 50,000 subscribers who received them each year gave us thoughtful feedback.

It was this positive response that made us decide to pour even more resources and energy into the 2013 issue, which you now hold in your hands. Along with the 2012 Top Doctors and Top Dentists lists, which we reprint in this issue each year for your convenience, you’ll notice that we’ve expanded and reimagined the front of the book, a section now called Pulse; we’ve engineered a home where longer, more analytical trend stories can live; and we’ve contracted with a larger stable of freelance journalists to help us deliver truly incisive stories to the pages of 5280 Health.

5280 Health 2013
More From The Issue

This year, we also added some oomph on the artistic side. Design director David McKenna tapped freelance art director Mark Lesh to refresh the look and feel of the magazine. Using a clean, dynamic design, Lesh rejuvenated the aesthetic of 5280 Health and built a strong foundation on which the editorial content can thrive. “Mark’s keen eye for photography and interactive design sense were a perfect fit for the new service-oriented front of the book as well as for impactful features,” McKenna says.

We believe all of this extra effort has added depth and nuance to a magazine that was already reaching readers in a way we had only dreamed about three years ago. We hope you agree. Here’s to your health!

This article was originally published in 5280 Health 2013.
Lindsey B. King
Lindsey B. King
Lindsey B. King was the magazine’s editor from 2021 to 2024. She is currently a Denver-based writer and editor.