Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children to Open New Building in August

DENVER, CO, August 19, 2010 (Press-News.org) The Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (RMHC), HealthONE's "pediatric hospital within a hospital," will mark the grand opening of a campus expansion at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center on Aug. 19-22 and will begin treating patients on Aug. 31.

Construction on the 160,000-square-foot facility at 1719 E. 19th Ave. in Denver began in May 2008. When completed in August, the $128 million campus expansion will include 53 inpatient beds, a 10-bed pediatric intensive care unit, two endoscopy suites, a dedicated pediatric emergency department, six pediatric specialty operating rooms, the new Rocky Mountain Cafe and the Ronald McDonald House Family Resource Room.

"There is a community need for increased access to pediatric healthcare services, and we are excited to bring this new project on line to augment our other five locations. Although state-of-the-art, this new facility will offer a nurturing environment for all our young patients, from high-risk newborns to children and teenagers," said Mimi Roberson, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.

What began with a team of 10 pediatric and neonatology physicians in 1977, RMHC now provides trusted care in six states with more than 300 affiliated physicians providing 40 specialties in a collaborative, multidisciplinary care setting from six HealthONE facilities in metro Denver and specialty pediatric outreach centers in Douglas County, Colo., Broomfield, Colo., and Casper, Wyo. RMHC doctors, who are all board-certified or board-eligible, have pioneered treatments and are leaders in a number of specialty areas, including pediatric sports medicine, minimally invasive surgery, high-risk pregnancies and neonatal intensive care.

Grand opening festivities for the new facility will take place Aug. 19-22 and involve local civic leaders, the Denver Chamber of Commerce and members of the Denver community. Planned events include the First Annual Kaleidoscope Gala: Through the Eyes of a Child, to benefit The Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation Aug. 21, and a community day that will include live music by Funkiphino and Academy of Rock, a doll and teddy bear "hospital," visiting animals from the Denver Zoo and games and giveaways from Noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 22. For a complete schedule of Grand Opening events, please visit http://www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com.

About Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (RMHC) is a regional resource for specialty pediatric care founded in 1977 by private practice pediatric specialists at HealthONE's Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver. Today, RMHC provides trusted care from within six HealthONE facilities throughout the Denver metro area and in specialty pediatric outreach centers in Douglas County, Colo., Broomfield, Colo., and Casper, Wyo. It is the trusted choice of pediatric and pre-natal care for Denver families. The Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children campus at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center is home to the region's largest and busiest neonatal intensive care. It is the only center in the region that offers both high-risk pregnancy care and neonatology on one campus — keeping mothers and babies together in the same hospital for optimal care. Patients are cared for by only board-certified or board-eligible physicians to provide the highest level of care.

http://www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com.

About HealthONE
HCA-HealthONE LLC is the largest healthcare system in the metro Denver area with 8,500 employees and 3,000 affiliated physicians. Named Colorado's "Best Company for Working Families -- large business category," in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the health system was created in 1995 as a 50/50 joint venture between non-profit The Colorado Health Foundation (formerly HealthONE Alliance), Colorado's 2nd-largest charitable foundation, and various affiliates of HCA.

HealthONE includes: The Medical Center of Aurora and Centennial Medical Plaza; North Suburban Medical Center; Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children; Rose Medical Center; Sky Ridge Medical Center; Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital; Swedish Medical Center and Swedish Southwest ER; 11 ambulatory surgical centers; more than 30 occupational medicine/rehabilitation, Broncos Sports Medicine, specialty, and outpatient diagnostic imaging clinics; and AIRLIFE, which provides critical care air and ground transportation for a seven-state region.

http://www.HealthONEcares.com