LONGMONT, Colo. (AUG. 5, 2017) – More than 300 stuffed animals and dolls were treated with a little TLC on Aug. 5 at the Teddy Bear Hospital event at the new UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont.
Their ailments ranged from tummy aches and broken legs to bumps on the heads and missing parts.
From the check-in and the exam with a provider to an X-ray and discharge instructions, more than 500 parents and children got to experience what goes on during a medical emergency without the fear factor of an actual emergency.
“We do this to give kids a chance to experience an emergency room without the fear factor of being in an actual emergency. They get to see how gentle and compassionate the emergency providers are,” said Dr. Jamie Teumer, the medical director of the emergency department at Longs Peak Hospital.
“If any of these kiddos ever has a medical emergency, I hope they’ll remember that doctors and nurses are here to help them feel better,” he added.
The children also got a chance to check out an ambulance, marvel at all of the equipment on a Mountain View Fire and Rescue firetruck or ambulance, meet a Longmont Fire Department firefighter, sit in UCHealth’s LifeLine medical helicopter, explore UCHealth’s Clinical Education vehicle and take a picture with Slapshot, the mascot of the Colorado Eagles.
The event was part of a full day of activities to give the community a sneak peek at Longs Peak Hospital before it officially opens.
The new 210,000-square-foot hospital at 1750 E. Ken Pratt Blvd. is set to open in late summer with more than 50 inpatient beds and room to grow. The hospital will feature an intensive care unit, operating rooms, a Level III trauma center and emergency department, advanced cardiac services, a birth center with a Level II special care nursery, a surgery center and 24-hour retail pharmacy, laboratory and imaging services.
Area residents also were invited to get a behind-the-scenes tour at the hospital’s Community Open House on Saturday afternoon. More than 2,200 residents took a peek at a number of areas of the facility, from the emergency room and one of the operating rooms to the intensive care unit, the birth center and even the gift shop.
“I am truly wowed by the wonderful warm welcome we received from the community today,” said Dan Robinson, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We are excited to start caring for our patients here, and it was a thrill to give the community a look at what’s in store.”