UCHealth to expand Memorial Hospital North campus to provide additional care for patients

Northern El Paso County residents will have more access to high-quality, advanced medical care
June 15, 2016
A groundbreaking ceremony to expand Memorial Hospital North, which opened in 2007, is set for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 16.

Colorado Springs, Colo. – UCHealth is excited to announce plans to invest $85 million in the health of the Pikes Peak region through a major expansion at Memorial Hospital North, offering new, advanced services for patients. Groundbreaking on the project – which will include a four-story addition that will primarily house women’s and oncology services – is expected to occur this fall.

Plans also call for expanding the Emergency Department, adding two operating rooms and increasing inpatient beds to 108 with additional room to grow in the future.  In the past two years, inpatient admissions have increased 43 percent at Memorial Hospital North, and the number of outpatient visits has nearly quadrupled as the hospital has added medical services on the campus.

“Memorial Hospital has been a leader in health care in the Pikes Peak region for more than 100 years, and this expansion ensures we will be able to continue to address current and future health needs of the community,” said George Hayes, CEO of Memorial Hospital.

“As the population is growing, so too is the demand for expert care in northern El Paso County and southern Douglas County. We are pleased to be able to offer residents access to advanced care, close to home.” The design of the new inpatient addition will complement plans by Children’s Hospital Colorado to build a full-service pediatric hospital on the Memorial Hospital North campus. The proximity of the hospitals will ensure the community has access to the very best adult and pediatric care on the same health campus. Both the Memorial and Children’s projects are expected to be completed in 2018.

The expansion plans come on the heels of other significant improvements within the last year at Memorial Hospital North: Cardiac services were expanded via a new, state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab and cardiac clinic, and oncology services grew with the addition of a radiation oncology treatment center and chemotherapy infusion. The medical center also was designated as a Level III trauma center. “The new services, treatments and investments at Memorial are exciting, but just as important are the improvements in patient experience, quality and safety,” said Dr. Jose Melendez, Memorial Hospital’s chief medical officer. “It’s obvious the community recognizes these improvements because record numbers of patients are now choosing Memorial Hospital for their care.”

Memorial Hospital North opened as a small, community hospital in 2007 and has since matured into a full-service hospital. UCHealth has spent more than $130 million in capital improvements, investments and additional services for patients at Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North since October 2012, when the hospitals became part of UCHealth through a long-term lease agreement. These investments include remodeled, private patient rooms, six new primary care locations and the addition of advanced imaging equipment, among many other enhancements.

About UCHealth

UCHealth is a Front Range health system that delivers the highest quality patient care with the highest quality patient experience.  UCHealth combines Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, Colorado Health Medical Group, and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. UCHealth partners with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and numerous community organizations to provide care. Separately, these institutions can continue providing superior care to patients and service to the communities they serve. Together, they push the boundaries of medicine, attracting more research funding, hosting more clinical trials and improving health through innovation.