New Clinic in Amber Creek Breaks Ground

Amber Creek groundbreaking

THORNTON, CO  – With a total of twenty residential developments currently in various stages of planning and construction in northeast Thornton, the area is projected to experience a population boom in the coming years. But with that boom, at least one thing will be in short supply: healthcare options. The Amber Creek and Riverdale neighborhoods are on track to experience a shortfall of 9 to16 primary care providers in the coming years. 

“There aren't enough primary care providers to take care of all the people in these neighborhoods,” said Christopher Awtrey, MD, regional Chief Medical Officer for SCL Health. “On top of that, there are no specialty care providers in the immediate area.” 

At a groundbreaking this week, Dr. Awtrey, along with Platte Valley Medical Center President Jaime Campbell and community stakeholders from the Adams County Manager's Office and the board of Platte Valley Medical Center, celebrated the start of construction on Platte Valley Medical Group’s Amber Creek clinic, which will open in November.  

The clinic will staff six full-time primary care providers and two full-time OB-Gyn providers, as well as orthopedics, cardiology and podiatry on a rotating basis. Like all Platte Valley clinics, Amber Creek will make healthcare access seamless and convenient, offering online scheduling, e-checkin, and 24-hour electronic access to health information.  

SCL Health and Platte Valley became a part of Intermountain Health in 2022, and rebranding is underway. Located just 10 miles from Platte Valley Medical Center, the clinic will be one spoke in the Intermountain hub, offering convenient referrals to an array of specialty and acute offerings where a higher level of care is needed. 

“The job of our clinics is not just to take care of community members when they’re sick,” said Campbell. “It’s to keep our community well. We’re proud to play a part in improving the health of our communities by ensuring easy access to high-quality care close to home.” 

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About Platte Valley Medical Group 

Platte Valley Medical Group and SCL Health are part of Intermountain Health, a Utah-based nonprofit health system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics and more than 3,800 physicians and advanced care providers across seven states in the Rocky Mountain west. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in adopting evidence-based practices to deliver consistent high-quality outcomes at sustainable cost. Within that system, SCL Medical Group and Platte Valley comprise more than 830 providers and 160 primary and specialty care clinics in Colorado, Montana and Northern Wyoming.