UCHealth to give community a sneak peek inside new Greeley Hospital

By:
May 29, 2019
A nurse bandages up a stuffed bear as two young girls watch.
Five-year-old Sidney Walker, left, had her teddy bear checked out by UCHealth Registered Nurse Amanda Martinez, right, and “doctor” Morgan Martinez, middle, during the 2017 Teddy Bear Hospital event at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont. The new UCHealth Greeley Hospital will be hosting the event from 9 a.m.-noon June 15. The hospital will give area residents a sneak peek at the new facility at a Community Open House from 1-4 p.m. June 15. Photos by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.

GREELEY, Colo. (May 28, 2019) – Just as crews are putting the finishing touches on UCHealth Greeley Hospital, clinicians and staff are getting ready for the new hospital’s big debut.

Doctor sews up a stuffed bear while two kids watch in an emergency room.
UCHealth Emergency Room physician Dr. Jamie Teumer stitches up Winnie the Pooh for Owen Sykes, middle, and his sister, Kellyn, during the 2017 Teddy Bear Hospital in Longmont.

At two events on June 15, the community will get a chance to learn more about the services that will be offered at UCHealth’s new hospital southwest of the intersection of U.S. 34 and 65th Avenue. The morning will kick off with the “Teddy Bear Hospital” event geared for families from 9 a.m. until noon. The Community Open House welcoming the general public and offering tours of the new facility will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

The 212,000-square-foot facility is set to open this summer with 50 inpatient beds and room to grow. The full-service hospital will feature an intensive care unit, operating rooms, a Level III trauma center and emergency department, a birth center with a Level II special care nursery, a cardiac catheterization lab and 24-hour retail pharmacy, laboratory and imaging services.

“We will soon be opening our doors to care for our first patients and deliver the hospital’s first babies,” said Marilyn Schock, Greeley Hospital president. “After much time planning and preparing, we are proud to welcome our community to see and feel what’s in store at their new hospital.”

Eleven-year-old Kya Franklin, right, gets Denver Nugget’s Rocky the Mountain Lion stitched up during the 2017 Teddy Bear Hospital event.

For the Teddy Bear Hospital, children are encouraged to bring their own favorite stuffed animal or doll to receive a little “TLC.” UCHealth emergency staff will bandage, suture and even X-ray the “patient” based on its injuries or illnesses reported to them by each child, who will learn about what happens during an emergency room visit and what they can do to stay safe.

“A trip to an emergency room can be scary for little ones because they just don’t know what to expect,” said Emily Garner, manager of the emergency department at Greeley Hospital. “This popular event is a great opportunity to bring children through the emergency room and simulate what a visit might be like for the child, with his or her stuffed animal as the patient instead.

This unique experience is free, fun and aims to decrease the anxiety and fear a child might have should they have a medical emergency in the future and need to go to the hospital, Garner added.

Woman builds carts in new emergency room.
Chelsey Williams, a materials coordinator at UCHealth Greeley Hospital, builds disaster carts in the hospital’s emergency department. Williams is one of hundreds of UCHealth employees who are getting the hospital ready to open this summer. Photo by Kelly Tracer, UCHealth.

UCHealth and Emergency Physicians of the Rockies will be giving mini teddy bears away to the first 250 young guests at the Teddy Bear Hospital. Emergency vehicles and the UCHealth LifeLine helicopter also will be on site for the children to tour.

The afternoon’s Community Open House will give attendees a chance to see a number of areas of the facility, from the emergency room and the intensive care unit, to the birth center and even the gift shop. Physicians and providers will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate some of the latest technology that will be used to deliver an exceptional patient experience and high-quality care. Representatives from the hospital’s volunteer office also will be on hand to share more information about opportunities to get involved at the hospital.

Crews work on finishing touches outside new hospital building.
Crews put finishing touches on the exterior of the new UCHealth Greeley Hospital in May 2019. The hospital will host two events on June 15 to give the community a sneak peek inside before the hospital officially opens. Photo by Kelly Tracer, UCHealth.
Emergency room Marilyn Schock Teddy Bear Hospital UCHealth Greeley Campus UCHealth Greeley Hospital

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.