The Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, a 168-bed children's hospital located adjacent to Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver, celebrated its grand opening in October. The hospital expands PSLMC's pediatric service lines and is the culmination of more than 10 years of efforts to launch a distinct facility for pediatric care at PSLMC. Here, Mimi Roberson, president and CEO of and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL in Denver discusses the opening of the new hospital as well as the challenges of overseeing full-service adult and children's hospitals.
Q: Presbyterian/St. Luke's has been a well recognized provider of both adult and pediatric services in Denver for some time. What led your hospital to expand its pediatric service line into the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children?
Mimi Roberson: The idea has been in the works for well over ten years ago. About 20 years ago, a number of pediatricians joined the PSLMC staff when Children's Hospital in Denver affiliated with the University of Colorado Denver, and all Children's staff were required to join the UC Denver faculty. Many of the physicians preferred to remain in private practice, and we engaged them by committing to support and grow pediatric services.
After Children's Hospital moved its facility from Denver to Aurora [in 2007], the idea of a dedicated children's facility gained even more support. We did a very detailed study of the potential program and determined that it would be something that could be supported by the community. We launched the hospital at PSLMC in October, and in the past 18 months, five other HealthONE hospitals [Editor's note: HealthONE is the parent company of PSLMC] have launched affiliated services. All of the affiliated hospitals provide pediatric-specific ER, inpatient and outpatient services. Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at PSLMC is the flagship, taking care of the most complex cases.
Q: How does the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL expand and improve your previous pediatric services?
MR: The new hospital is completely dedicated to children's services. So there is dedicated imaging and radiology and a dedicated pediatric surgery unit and ICU. The facility has its own case management services, its own cafeteria and a separate entrance from the main hospital. It recognizes that children are not just shorter adults. The aesthetics and feel are very different from an adult hospital. The services they require and want are very different. We have a family resource center and programs like slumber parties for siblings. We also have different programs for toddlers and teens, since their interests and what they want are of course very different.
Q: What was the biggest challenge in getting the new hospital up and running?
MR: It didn't really feel that difficult at the time, because it was so enriching and energizing. One of our focuses though, when we first started construction, was to ensure the adult side felt we were just as committed to it as to the children's side. We aim to be a campus of expertise, supported by both adult and pediatric services. We were cautious not to lose focus on the adult side with all of the excitement surrounding our pediatric services. For me personally, it was a bit of a challenge managing my time effectively between building and developing a new hospital and keeping and continuing to manage the existing one.
Q: What have been some of the highlights or successes of the new facility since it opened?
MR: I think the best part is the dream matched the reality. What we built and what our community said they would be grateful to have is exactly the same. Seeing the energy and energy and excitement of the people who use it is a great reward. There is just an overall culture of warmth within the staff. It's rewarding to receive compliments from patients, and to know we built what was needed in the community. It's all very exciting.
Q: As an experienced executive that oversees both children's and adult services, what piece of advice would you give to other executives trying to manage the same challenges you've faced?
MR: It's pretty simple advice, but be honest in what you do and be respectful in how you do it. Our job is to be mentors of others and engage them in process of decision making. At the start of the day and the end of the day, all you have is your ethics. Taking care of others is a sacred trust. Make clinical rounds so that piece never leaves you. Relationships are everything.
Learn more about Presbyterian/St. Luke's and the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.