Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth plans to nearly double the size of Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs.
Six things to know:
1. The multi-phase project will include nearly 330,000 square feet of new construction, with about 45% of that designated for immediate use and the remainder as shelled space, according to a Dec. 11 news release from UCHealth.
2. The expansion aims to address the community's growing needs, as the hospital has been operating at or near capacity for several years, Lonnie Cramer, president and CEO of UCHealth Memorial Hospital, said in the release.
3. The $407 million expansion project includes an inpatient tower that will increase the bed capacity from 140 to 190, with the ability to expand to 320 beds.
4. The first phase will add four operating rooms, with plans for four more in subsequent phases. Other expansions include space for 12 additional emergency department exam rooms and a parking structure.
5. Construction on the parking structure is expected to run from 2025 to 2027. Groundbreaking for the patient tower is slated for 2026, with an opening estimated for 2029.
6. Previous expansions were completed in 2018 and 2019. Since fiscal year 2019, inpatient admissions have risen 31% and emergency visits have increased 25%, the release said.