After recent financial gains, Middle Park Health (MPH) announced plans for a new hospital in the Fraser Valley at the Board meeting May 2nd.

Dr. Tom Coburn, Vice President of Medical Affairs, explained they are looking to build a health center and emergency room in the Fraser and Winter Park area. Plans for the new two story,  26,000 square feet facility were part of the presentation.

The lower 15,171 square feet would house an emergency room with three normal emergency bays, an isolation room for patients with contagious diseases, two trauma bays, two hospital beds for patients who need to be kept overnight, a nursing station, radiology services with CT and x-ray, laboratory, clean and dirty utilities, bereavement room, and staff lounge.

“This is what we would open with immediately,” said Dr. Coburn.

The remaining square footage would be on the upper level and is currently open space. It would be for services that, “We feel we need to move forward in the community,” explained Dr. Coburn who said it could be potentially used for oncology services or a surgery center.

MPH currently has a clinic in Winter Park in the Cooper Creek Square, but in the future, the second floor could be expanded by 5000 square feet to include a clinic if needed.

The cost for the new facility is estimated to be $12.5 million without the land. Costs break down as $7.5 million for the first floor which includes plant and site work, $2.5 million for the second floor (shell), and soft costs for medical equipment and fees is estimated at $2.5 million.

Land is still under negotiation and is expected to be in Grand Park on Kings Crossing Road across from the museum. “We are working on a contract,” said Coburn who said the land would be expensive. Under the current plan, there is space for a helicopter landing pad and future growth.

Clark Lipscomb, Grand Park representative said, “There is a deal on the table. We have looked at their business model and it makes a lot of sense.” Grand Park is in the heart of the Fraser Valley and the location is perfect for future developmental plans. Lipscomb said, ”The timing is on par with the growth we are experiencing and a facility would help slow the front range healthcare leakage.”

This new Fraser facility is one of several expansion projects Middle Park Health is working on, including a major overhaul to the Kremmling hospital, a Wellness Center and physical therapy facility in Kremmling, a new clinic in Grand Lake, and expansions to the Granby medical campus. Earlier in December of 2018, MPH began seeking a U.S. Department of Agriculture, (USDA) Rural Development loan that will provide financial assistance for the projects.

The Kremmling plans will provide renovation to the current hospital along with a new structure that will replace the administrative building. Granby facility plans allow a smaller expansion to accommodate additional inpatient care and added clinic space. “Granby will put in 5-7 additional patient and hospital beds for medical/surgery and then another 2,000 square feet of clinic space,” Dr. Coburn explained. The Kremmling and Granby projects are estimated to be $16.7 million.

Dr. Coburn said in Phase 1 of the USDA loan process, the draft feasibility report was received prior to the meeting. The feasibility report analyzed cash flow from construction through 2023. The architectural review and the environmental study for asbestos should be completed by the end of the month.

Letters were also sent out to anyone who could have interest in the Kremmling property, such as – Town of Kremmling, Town of Granby, Grand County, Tribal Council of the Ute Nation, and State Historical. The State Historical believes it does not have historical value because it has been remodeled so many times since it was built in 1933.

The request for the Kremmling proposal (RFP) can be sought once the architectural review is completed and construction could begin in the fall.

In terms of the Winter Park/Fraser project, Dr. Coburn said the feasibility study for the Kremmling and Granby projects suggest the finances of doing this makes sense without even including the numbers from Winter Park. He ascertained the feasibility studies and market analysis for the new Fraser Valley facility will definitely justify the loan with the USDA.

“It’s a survival thing,” said Kremmling resident, Larry Gross, who understood the need for expansion to the Winter Park/Fraser Valley.

“If somebody else moves in we slowly shrivel up and go away,” added former MPH board member Jeff Miller who now serves as the chairman of the Middle Park Medical Foundation. “Get it done.”