The Health and Medical Center at Prospect Road and College Avenue now stands as a new gateway to Colorado State University. But its location isn’t significant just to CSU. The 113,000-square-foot facility also is a doorway through which the entire northern Colorado community is invited to care for their health.

“The beauty of this project is that separately, each partner is caring for unique groups of people, but together, we are caring for the entire community,” said Kevin Unger, president and CEO of UCHealth’s Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies.

Here are five things you should know about the Health and Medical Center, 151 W. Lake St., Fort Collins.

No. 1: It’s not just for CSU students.

The first floor of the new facility houses a variety of health and wellness services to meet the needs of the community.

UCHealth partnered with Associates in Family Medicine and shares a reception space in one suite of the first floor. Here, AFM operates primary care services and a walk-in clinic is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

UCHealth also provides imaging services for the entire facility, and for community employers, it provides occupational medicine and rehabilitation services.

“It’s a very integrated partnership we have with UCHealth,” said Dr. James Sprowell, CEO of AFM. “And there are going to be a lot of interactions between all the parties involved.”

The center’s partners, UCHealth, AFM, CSU and Columbine Health Systems have partnered in the past in many different community ventures including UCHealth Lifestyle Health programs, home health services and research projects, Unger said. For this project, UCHealth donated $5 million to CSU.

No. 2: The Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging is a cutting-edge idea that fits perfectly with the facility’s other services.

CSU has about 50 faculty members engaged in research of the aging process, everything from the effects of exercise and diet to possible compounds that could extend lifespans. The center will support a director who will coordinate those research projects to better optimize resources and knowledge, and provide one location for collaboration among departments, said Anne Hudgens, executive director of CSU Health Network.

“This is a center that can serve the entire state of Colorado,” said Yvonne Myers, health systems director of Columbine Health Systems. “We are big stewards of the aging population. This center will help draw more research, help students participate in that research and help citizens participate so that we can put the best foot forward on aging. As a land-grant university, it’s important for CSU to take what they know back out to our citizens, and for the aging community, they now have that door.

“What I love about the new Health and Medical Center is the intergenerationalism,” Myers said. “A 20-year-old and an 80-year-old could be walking in together for their appointments, but both with the goal of being healthy. That’s pretty cool.”

No. 3: The center came to life because of unique partnerships and collaborated services.

CSU and UCHealth began discussions about working together over five years ago to create a focal point on health and wellness for the community, students and employers, said Grace Taylor, UCHealth’s senior director of physician relations and community outreach.

“Our community is collaborative, vibrant and unique, similar to the vision of the center,” she said. “The vision of creating shared space and health care services simply makes sense to us. When one considers the expanded academic excellence and life-changing research in health-related fields that will take place in this building for generations, it was a project that falls in line with UCHealth’s core mission and vision.”

The collaboration among organizations allows for more efficient processes and better patient care, added Jack Retzlaff, director of imaging services for UCHealth in northern Colorado.

“In this facility, we’ll all be working as one to advance the delivery of health care to each of the communities we serve,” he said. “With state-of-the-art equipment, we’ll enhance quality, productivity and the ability to connect images and results quickly to the providers. In the end, we’ll be able to provide faster results that will translate to more timely patient treatment.”

No. 4: Students can now get their comprehensive care in one location.

CSU Health Network, which provides mental and physical health services to CSU students, had been operating out of two aging buildings: Aylesworth Hall and Hartshorn Health Services.

Aylesworth Hall was built in 1956 as a residence hall and in recent years struggled to accommodate counseling services, while Hartshorn was built as an overnight infirmary in 1964, when CSU had about 9,000 students.

The university now has more than 30,000 students, and nearly half of those students use the Health Network, making it one of the most widely used student services on campus, according to Hudgens. The second and third floors of the new Health and Medical Center are dedicated to student health and wellness services.

“In 2008, we integrated counseling services, medical, and education and prevention under one organizational title: CSU Health Network,” Hudgens said. “And now we have them under one roof.”

No. 5: Even the building itself promotes wellness.

A glass, circular staircase that reaches each of the building’s four floors, is in the center of the building. Hundreds of glass balls hang from the top of the building, providing a feeling of calm and the appearance of rain cascading down the middle.The design encourages movement through the heart of the building and visually connects the services, said Kate Hagdorn, associate director of communications for CSU Health Network.

On the community-focused first floor, there also is a reflection area for relaxation, meditation and prayer. Elegant lighting and comfy chairs fill the space, and visitors can use the yoga mats or blankets stored on shelving, or the relaxation pod for a few minutes of quiet time.

“The Health and Medical Center is a visible beacon of how we prioritize health and well-being at Colorado State,” Hagdorn said. “The inclusive, welcoming spaces throughout the building, from the fireplaces on each floor to the natural light and bright colors, reflect our focus on care for the whole person – body, mind and spirit.”

Get a behind-the-scenes tour at open house

• Join us for tours of the state-of-the-art Health and Medical Center at CSU and learn about all of the services available to the public. The new facility, located at College Avenue and Prospect Road, is focused on elevating the health and well-being of the northern Colorado community.

Representatives from all members of this unique and innovative building partnership, including CSU Student Health Network, UCHealth, Associates in Family Medicine, Poudre Infusion Therapy, Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging and Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center, will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about services offered to everyone in the community.

Free parking for the Community Open House is available on-site in the lot on the north side of the building and in CSU lot #575 across Lake Street from the building. Attendees are encouraged to take the MAX bus to the Prospect Station, which is located directly outside the building. Ample bike parking is available outside the main entrance on the north side of the building and at the MAX station.