Banner Health Board approves $21 million Legacy II project
(LOVELAND, COLO.) December 10– To demonstrate continued commitment to the Loveland community and surrounding area, the Banner Health Board of Directors has approved a $21 million expansion and renovation project for McKee Medical Center.
“Legacy II” will expand and improve a number of service areas within the hospital, including the Emergency Department. A new Emergency Department (ED) tower, two-thirds larger than McKee’s existing Emergency Department, will be built adjacent to the current ED. Outpatient registration and waiting area will then be expanded into the old ED area, allowing more privacy and comfort for patients.
“McKee Medical Center has served Loveland and the surrounding area for nearly 30 years,” explained Rick Sutton, McKee CEO. “We are Loveland’s hospital.”
“We value this community, and are absolutely committed to continuing to provide residents with the highest quality, leading-edge health care. Our investment in this project, along with our recently completed Legacy I addition, ensures we remain a state-of-the-art facility that provides the highest quality care.”
Legacy I, which was completed earlier this year, is a $40 million building addition which now houses the McKee Surgery Center, an expanded McKee Family Birthing Center, and a larger Intensive Care unit. The project also included a new expanded area for the Materials Management, Plant Services and Environmental Services departments; a new morgue; and expanded main and ED entrances.
“With the Legacy I and II projects, we have recently committed to investing an additional $61 million to our existing hospital campus,” Sutton said.
The timeline for beginning and completing Legacy II has yet to be determined.
What has been determined is that the new Emergency Department will be the first
project on the plate when Legacy II breaks ground.
The new ED will have 19 private patient rooms, with more room for equipment and for medical staff to care for patients. Each patient room will have only one patient bed, to ensure privacy and comfort. An expanded waiting and registration area will also offer more privacy for patients and their loved ones.
“This project will allow us to design a new state-of-the-art ED that will provide the most efficient and comprehensive emergency care possible,” Sutton said.
Part of the existing ED space will be used to house a leading-edge diagnostic imaging tool, the PET CT. Positron emission tomography (PET scan) is a test that combines computed tomography (CT) and nuclear scanning. It is often used as an effective test for detecting and evaluating cancer, such as of the lung or breast.
“McKee Medical Center has one of the leading cancer programs in this region,”
Sutton said. “The acquisition of a PET CT will enhance our already comprehensive
scope of cancer care.”
McKee’s Legacy II project will also include:
- Renovation of current operating rooms a
- Construction of a new pharmacy and a new laboratory (within existing hospital space)
- Completion of the pneumatic tube system
- Expansion of the chapel
- Expansion of the McKee Cancer Center
- Expansion of the dining area
- Update of the entire first floor hallway and Outpatient lobby
“We are excited to move forward with our Legacy II project,” Sutton said, “and to continue our journey of being the best hospital in Banner Health, in Northern Colorado, and in the nation.”
