STYLE Media and Design

Sky bridge spans Lemay Avenue to connect Westbridge Medical Suites to Poudre Valley Hospital.

Edmond Thompson, project manager of the Westbridge facility for Swinerton Builders, says workers used three massive cranes to place the 243-foot, 90-ton bridge across Lemay Avenue in September 2008. It was challenging to build a bridge across a street like Lemay, says Thompson. “We have built many pedestrian bridges, but they are usually on highways where there is nothing but cement walls on either side. It takes a lot more preparation to build a bridge when one end connects to a building full of patients and staff.”

The sky bridge connects the new structure to the west side of the original Poudre Valley Hospital building, which was originally built in 1925 as the Larimer County Hospital. Eighty-four years ago, PVH was a 40-bed facility on the outskirts of Fort Collins with 40 acres adjacent to the hospital used to raise vegetables, hogs, sheep, and chickens to feed patients. After World War II, with increased enrollment at what is now Colorado State University, the population of Fort Collins grew and PVH grew along with it, quickly increasing in size to more than 86 beds. In recent years, PVH has been remodeled and expanded to 271 beds.

Thompson said he is proud to be part of the rich history of PVH and enjoyed his time working in Fort Collins. “The project went great. It meant lots of long hours and hard work because it was such a complex project, but we are very pleased with the results.”

“A project of this size requires many permits, signs, and road closings. We had cooperation from everyone to make all those things happen with the right timing. We are extremely pleased not only with the quality of the structures, but also with the relationship we built with the people of Fort Collins, including staff at the city, subcontractors, and building owners and management.” Thompson says they completed the project and “handed over the keys to the building” almost exactly a year to the day from when they started and on the exact date they contracted to finish. A heavy sigh of relief accompanies his statement.

Kevin Unger, President/CEO of PVH, says as he has watched Fort Collins and Northern Colorado grow and continue to be a hub for healthcare for patients from all over Colorado and Wyoming, the need for the expansion and more healthcare services became necessary. “We have a great staff at PVH who work as a team and have been very dedicated to finding new, innovative ways to improve our care and services.” He believes the Westbridge building and parking garage will help them do that, adding another chapter to the hospital’s long history. “This is the first phase in a long-term expansion plan for PVH. This project has been in the works for about three and a half years, so we are all excited to get this done.” The administrative offices at PVH have transferred to the fourth floor of the new building, says Unger, and they are glad to finally be moved in. All service facilities have made the move and are seeing patients. “Moving is never fun and we are still working out technical bugs,” says Unger, “But we are all relieved to finally be in our new home.”

Kevin Tool, M.D., Chairman of the Board for the Women’s Clinic of Northern Colorado

The four-story Westbridge building is also the new home of Women’s Clinic of Northern Colorado (WCNC), who partnered with PVH to build the facility. Dr. Kevin Tool, Chairman of the Board for WCNC says, “The project went very well and PVH was a phenomenal partner. We had a few challenges along the way, but we are very happy with the final result. There was some trepidation about the project from people in surrounding neighborhoods,” he adds, “but I think they are happy with the beautiful structure now that it is complete and they can see what it brought to the area.”

WCNC moved into Westbridge from their home of 20 years on the corner of Prospect and Lemay. Dr. Tool says the building they were in was a “cornerstone of care” in the area and served them well for many years, so it was with mixed emotion that they made the change. But, “the new facility is much more efficient and we think being physically connected with the hospital is much better for our patients. We can get them more quickly to the hospital when there is an emergency and it is easier to be there for them after procedures and deliveries.” Even though the old building was close to PVH, says Dr. Tool, getting to and from the building and then through the hospital made it impossible to visit hospital patients in between office appointments. The new structure affords the physicians and patients that great benefit.

Dr. Tool says besides being more convenient, the design of WCNC is much improved from the old facility. “We designed it with hospitality in mind.” Checking in feels more like a hotel reception desk than a doctor’s reception desk. Also, the patient waiting area is farther away from the reception desk. “We did this for hospitality reasons as well as for patient privacy. Now patients checking in are not heard by everyone in the waiting area.” Since the move, they have also added services like new state-of-the-art mammography equipment that is digital instead of analog, requires no film or developing time, and provides radiologists with better software to aid in finding any abnormalities,” says Dr. Tool.

The Westbridge building not only houses WCNC, but also features Twenty Three Trees Medical and Wellness Spa, scheduled to open in June. Why the name Twenty Three Trees? Because during excavation for the Westbridge building, it was necessary to remove 23 beautiful, mature trees and relocate them to the homes of PVH employees. In 2009, 23 new trees will be planted around the Westbridge building, bringing the story full circle.

Unger says the spa is an exciting addition for the staff and physicians. “This gives us the ability to have in-room massage care for our patients. It is also nice for people wanting to send something to a patient or a new mom. Instead of sending flowers, they can send a massage.”

Early in the conception and design process, according to Dr. Tool, Dr. Ransy Jeffrey suggested the facility be similar to a women’s center. “This is what the facility turned out to be, one stop convenience for women’s health needs.” The building’s retail space, Twigs, will carry many items needed by nursing and pregnant mothers such as breast pumps and nursing bras, and some luxury items, says Pam Brock, Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning for PVHS. “Our WeeSteps program offers breastfeeding services and resources to the new mothers in our community. The Perinatology Clinic, which treats high-risk pregnancies, also moved to the new building,” she adds.

One of the comfortable new rooms for night studies at the PVH Sleep Disorders Center.

While Westbridge truly has become a one-stop facility for women, it is not exclusively for them. There are many convenient services for men and children, as well, says Brock. “With WCNC, the Sleep Disorders Center, the Westbridge Laboratory for blood draws, Associates in Family Medicine, and Twenty Three Trees Medical & Wellness Spa, we have many services for everyone in one building.”

The PVH Sleep Disorders Center was a one-room lab started twelve years ago by supervisor, Chequita Robinson and Mark Petrun, M.D. Robinson was running the night studies herself and doing the daytime analysis, as well. The one-woman show who ran 12 sleep studies a month now leads the beautiful new six-bed sleep center capable of doing 170 studies per month. And seriously – who doesn’t need a better nights sleep?

The facility also has a 736-stall parking garage providing much-needed parking for staff and physicians. Visitor parking is available to the community on the southwest side of the building. Both the garage and office building are connected to PVH by a sky bridge. “This feature makes getting to and from a patient or procedure so much quicker and more efficient for the physicians,” says Unger.

The structure could not have been built without the parking garage, adds Dr. Tool. “PVH already had a problem with parking congestion. The parking garage and sky bridge solved the problem safely for both buildings.” The sky bridge itself is for physicians and staff only, explains Dr. Tool. “That was the only way we could get approval from the city because of zoning regulations. Even though patients are not allowed to use the bridge, it is a focal point for Fort Collins and a big safety factor for the area.”

Everyone involved agrees the new facility is good for Fort Collins and definitely something worth chattering about. “The facility is great for Fort Collins and surrounding areas and efficiently meets a need in our growing community. It also gives us the ability to expand in the future,” concludes Unger.

Westbridge Medical Suites