The Legacy Continues - Capital Campaign News
Colorado Gives Foundation and Lutheran Medical Center share a legacy of caring for Jefferson County. In 2007, when the hospital joined what would later become SCL Health and is now Intermountain Health, the proceeds from the transfer of the hospital governing rights were used to help create the Lutheran Medical Center Community Foundation, which is today known as Colorado Gives Foundation.
These two organizations are pleased to announce that Colorado Gives Foundation has made a gift of $3.2 million to the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation’s Legacy Continues Campaign. This major contribution will support the new replacement Lutheran project at Clear Creek Crossing and advance the health of people in Jefferson County and surrounding communities.
The new replacement hospital will replace its current, aging facility in Wheat Ridge. The new building gives Lutheran and Intermountain Health an opportunity to design the future of healthcare as an accessible, innovative, and patient-centered facility that will meet the needs of a vibrant, diverse community.
"Lutheran has served the west metro community for more than 100 years, caring for patients throughout their lives," said Scott Peek, Lutheran President, and Front Range Market President. "We look forward to providing the same high-quality care for this community for many years to come in our new location when it opens in 2024. The replacement hospital will expand access to emergency and critical care and elevate care in our region with a well-designed, efficient, and flexible facility that will help us meet the healthcare challenges of the future."
Since its creation, Colorado Gives Foundation has invested in a variety of projects to promote community health and has grown into one of the largest community foundations in Colorado. Colorado Gives Foundation operates grantmaking programs that serve the Jeffco community and statewide, works to build capacity for nonprofits and donors. Both Colorado Gives Foundation and Lutheran are committed to community health.
“We are committed to making good happen by helping our friends and neighbors in Jefferson County stay healthy and thrive,” said Kelly Dunkin, president and CEO of Colorado Gives Foundation. “We are proud to be a long-time partner of Lutheran and to support their efforts to deliver high-quality health services, from emergency care to welcoming babies into our community. We recognize the critical role health plays in our community’s ability to thrive, and we look forward to acontinued partnership in promoting health and wellbeing.”
To show gratitude and acknowledge the partnership, the hospital will name the new central courtyard and public gathering space for Colorado Gives Foundation. This gift advances the success of the Lutheran Foundation’s capital campaign, which has reached 85 percent of its five-year fundraising goal of $12 million to support the replacement hospital.
Lutheran’s history is centered around excellence and service to its community. Founded as a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1905, Lutheran Medical Center is Jefferson County’s first hospital. And today, Lutheran operates one of the busiest Emergency Departments in Colorado, provides Jefferson County’s only Labor and Delivery program, and offers unique emergency and behavioral health programs that prioritize the well-being of older adults.