SCL Health Lutheran Medical Center Announces New Replacement Hospital & Future of Current Campus

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Wheat Ridge, CO - SCL Health held a groundbreaking today for the replacement hospital for Lutheran Medical Center at the Clear Creek Crossing development in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. This project addresses the growing, future needs for accessible, high-quality health care in Jefferson County and the surrounding communities.

"We know that healthcare is one of the most critical foundations of a strong community. Maximizing this once-in-a-generation opportunity, residents and community leaders have asked us to build the ‘hospital of the future’ in Wheat Ridge," says Lydia Jumonville, SCL Health President, and CEO. "This replacement hospital will meet the demand for a more flexible and patient-centered facility that delivers high-quality, advanced care more efficiently."

SCL Health Lutheran Medical Center has served the Wheat Ridge and surrounding communities at its current location for more than 100 years. It has evolved from humble beginnings as a tuberculosis sanitarium into one of the best hospitals in the country, including its new Level II trauma designation.

The new Lutheran campus is being built on approximately 28-acres at I-70 and 40th Avenue, approximately 3.5 miles from the existing campus. Grant Wicklund, Lutheran President, says, "The replacement hospital will expand access to emergency and critical care for families up and down the Jefferson County and West Denver suburbs. We will elevate care in our community, and it will be one of the most efficient facilities in the region."

Once the replacement hospital is built and open, SCL Health Lutheran Medical Center will stop acute hospital operations at its current site (estimated to occur in mid-2024). Lutheran Hospice will remain on the site. Additionally, SCL Health plans to expand its inpatient behavioral health services currently at West Pines in coming years, which could include building a new facility at a new site. It is envisioned that the remainder of the land at the legacy campus will be sold to a single developer, guided by the City of Wheat Ridge master planning process.

"SCL Health Lutheran is the largest employer in the City and we value our long standing collaborative relationship,” stated Patrick Goff, city manager for the City of Wheat Ridge. “The process of reimagining the legacy campus on the existing 100 acres at 38th Avenue is underway with a master planning process that engages our community. Breaking ground for the replacement hospital at Clear Creek Crossing is an important first step in the process of ensuring our community continues to have access to high-quality, advanced health care.”

The construction of a replacement hospital will provide updated state-of-the-art medical facilities for Wheat Ridge and Jefferson County residents to meet their healthcare needs for decades to come and will:

• Expand access to emergency and critical care for families up and down the Jefferson County and West Denver suburbs, with easy and quick access from I-70, Hwy. 93, and U.S. 6/Sixth Avenue.
• Elevate health care in the region with a well-designed, efficient, and flexible facility designed with the patient and staff top of mind. Most rooms will have the ability to be converted to ICU standards if needed.
• Maximize workplace efficiencies, including cutting down on the number of steps needed to get to a patient room, and decentralization of nursing pods so nurses are closer to the bedside.
• Provide more comfort for patients and families, with all rooms being more comfortable and brighter with floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing for more natural light in rooms.
• Provide new and dedicated areas in the hospital to find respite - including a beautiful new atrium for patients and caregivers.
• Be one of the most energy-efficient facilities in the region.
• Help drive economic growth in Jefferson County and west Denver, employing 2,000 people in well-paying jobs and contributing more than $1.1 billion in annual local economic impact. Lutheran remains the largest employer in Wheat Ridge.

The move to the I-70 corridor will expand access to life-saving emergency care in:

• Trauma: continuing its Level II trauma center care
• Stroke Center: one of Colorado's comprehensive stroke centers
• Heart attack: our speed in getting a patient from arrival to expert care beats the national average
• Neurosurgery: 24/7 surgical care for traumatic brain injuries and brain tumors using the most advanced equipment
• Interventional neurology: expertise in diagnosing and treating brain aneurysm, thrombosis, and epilepsy
• Neuroscience Critical Care Unit: one of the only dedicated units to care for patients with the most severe neurology needs

Learn about the New Lutheran Medical Center.