UCHealth to expand the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland
One of the quickest growing regions in Colorado is northern Colorado, to the point local hospitals are running out of space and need to expand in order to meet demand. UCHealth, one of Colorado's largest health providers, announced on Tuesday plans to drastically expand the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.
"Over the past decade, northern Colorado has been an attractive place for people to move," said Kevin Unger, President, and CEO of UCHealth's northern Colorado market. "Everyone is experiencing tremendous growth because of quality of life."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the last decade, Weld County's population has grown by 30%, with neighboring Larimer County growing by more than 20%.
"The population continues to boom and expand. We, traditionally, see a 2-to-3% growth here in Fort Collins. But, Greeley has seen double-digit growth. And, Loveland is just booming and busy," Unger said.
With so many people moving to the region major hospitals like Greeley Hospital, MCR and Poudre Valley Hospital are needing more space for more beds.
"We are, on a daily basis, looking at bed capacity. Every day is a challenge to put the Rubik's cube together as to where we will put patients," Unger said.
UCHealth announced they will begin construction on a new tower at MCR, noting that it would help the hospital house up to 319 beds compared to the current level of just under 190.
Unger admitted the addition to the hospital is not only needed but likely will be enough to barely meet demand by the time it is completed.
"We anticipate that, when we open these beds, we will fill these beds," Unger said.
According to a study released by Kaiser, and cited in a statement by UCHealth, Colorado is among the states with the least beds compared to their population. The study found Colorado only has 1.91 beds for every 1,000 residents. That is significantly low compared to the national average of 2.38 beds, ranking Colorado the 8th lowest in the country.
Unger said this expansion of MCR will not put UCHealth's facility ahead, but rather it would catch them up with demand by the time the facility is completed in four years. By then the team at UCHealth may also be considering a second tower addition on the south end of the hospital.
The new $280 million wing of the hospital is also expected to add a new cancer center that can administer high-dose radiation therapies. The five story addition will also expand the emergency room's size and improve access to different imaging technologies.
Unger said, compared to what other hospitals are experiencing in other states, many in Colorado are fortunate to need to expand rather than shrink their footprints.
"A lot of my colleagues throughout the United States are seeing decreases because their population is decreasing. So, we are blessed to have an attractive place to be. But, with the comes with challenges to keep up with the growth," Unger said.
