UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital officially opens doors in Longmont

New full-service hospital features telehealth technologies, patient-centered focus and advanced care, close to home
Aug. 31, 2017

LONGMONT, Colo. (Aug. 31, 2017) – Colorado’s newest hospital, UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, is now open and providing advanced, community-focused care.

Doctor Jamie Teumer hugs a child named Owen Sykes after caring for his sister's doll during the opening of UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital.
Emergency physician Jamie Teumer hugs Owen Sykes after caring for his sister’s doll during the Teddy Bear Hospital at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont on Aug. 5. The hospital officially opened on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.

The 210,000-square-foot hospital at 1750 E. Ken Pratt Blvd. in Longmont officially opened this morning with 51 inpatient beds and room to grow.

The hospital features an intensive care unit, four operating rooms, a Level III trauma center and emergency department, advanced cardiac services, a birth center with a Level II special care nursery, a café, a gift shop, a meditation room and a courtyard.

In addition, the hospital is offering several services that were not already offered in the community, including:

  • 24-hour retail pharmacy, laboratory and imaging services.
  • Birthing center with water birth capabilities and the option of using nitrous oxide for pain management.
  • Bariatric surgery.
  • Advanced orthopedic procedures.
  • Advanced telehealth services.
  • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program to care for those who have been sexually assaulted.
    Joni Gruner, a pharmacy technician, sorts through some shelves of supplies at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital.
    Joni Gruner, pharmacy technician at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, arranges shelves in the hospitals pharmacy Thursday morning. The hospital officially opened its doors at 7 a.m. Thursday, and has the only 24-hour retail pharmacy in Boulder County. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.

“From the beginning, we’ve always had a very clear vision to build a hospital where we can provide our patients with an exceptional experience and the very best care,” said President and CEO Dan Robinson. “Every detail of our vision for Longs Peak Hospital has taken shape – both inside and out. And this morning, we opened the doors to a state-of-the-art facility that will not only meet our community’s growing health care needs of today but also will be able to grow with the community in the future.”

Approximately 350 employees are on staff to care for patients, guests and the facility. They’ll be joined by more than 370 providers on the medical staff, which includes local providers from across the front range, as well as partners from UCHealth Longmont Clinic, UCHealth Carbon Valley Health Center, UCHealth Medical Group and the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“We want our patients in this growing area of the state to have access to the very best medical care without having to go far from home,” said UCHealth President and CEO Elizabeth Concordia. “With improved access to nationally-recognized specialists, advanced treatments and clinical trials offered through Longs Peak Hospital, we are making health care more convenient and effective, and helping people continue living their extraordinary lives.”

Erich Bowen, an environmental services technician at the new UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, mops a room in the ER.
Erich Bowen, environmental services technician at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, cleans an emergency room Thursday morning. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.

The hospital opening comes just one day after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the hospital a license to operate. UCHealth officials look forward to working with the health department, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission this fall on a federal certification process, which would allow the hospital to care for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare patients.

In September, the adjoining UCHealth Longs Peak Surgery Center is slated to open as well. The 15,000-square-foot surgery center features three operating rooms, an endoscopy suite and a pre- and post-operation area for patients preparing for and recovering from surgery. Community providers as well as surgeons from UCHealth Longmont Clinic and University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery will practice at the surgery center.

“For nearly three years, we have been working to open Longs Peak Hospital, and we look forward to bringing new services to Longmont and Carbon Valley,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Schane, a longtime pediatrician at UCHealth Longmont Clinic. “We are excited to start caring for patients here and will strive to impress each and every person we serve with exceptional experience and care.”

 

About UCHealth

UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth combines Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, UCHealth Medical Group, Broomfield Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Longs Peak Hospital and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. With more than 100 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation.

About the author

Kelly Tracer is a media relations specialist at UCHealth, based in northern Colorado. For nearly 20 years, she worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and designer before diving into the world of health care communications.

She believes there is an amazing story inside everyone and considers it an honor to get to meet and work with so many extraordinary people – patients, families, providers, volunteers and staff – every day. She is also fascinated by health care innovation and programs that empower and inspire people and families to live healthier lives.

A native of Nebraska, Kelly received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She and her husband have two children and enjoy paddle boarding all summer and skiing all winter.