"Everyone in same-day surgery, the operating room, and anesthesia were great. I have never had a bad time at Aspen Valley Hospital!" -AVH Patient
AVH Master Plan - Overview/Description
To hear Aspen Valley Hospital's CEO, Dave Ressler, discuss the Master Facilities Plan, watch the following videos from "Medicine in the Mountains" on Grassroots TV:
Building Extraordinary Healthcare
Aspen Valley Hospital is well known for the extraordinary healthcare it has provided to both locals and visitors for many decades. Uniquely low ratios of staff to patients, highly educated physicians and clinical staff, a comprehensive array of services, the latest in medical technology, and a culture of service excellence have all contributed to the personalized, quality care and reputation of the hospital. But the facility itself, now over 30 years old, must be updated to meet the needs of our community today and in the years to come. Therefore, Aspen Valley Hospital has developed a Master Facilities Plan to upgrade and expand its physical plant. The new modern facility will promote health and healing, enhance the patient and family experience, support the natural environment, and continue Aspen Valley Hospital’s legacy of personalized, compassionate, and comprehensive care.
Facts
Total number of square feet upon completion: 215,000
Total number of beds upon completion: 39
Projected construction budget: $100 million
Projected construction timeline: Seven years
AVH project manager: John Schied
External project team: Heery Design, DHM Design, and Sopris Engineering
Planning Considerations
Over the course of the last three decades since the hospital was originally designed and built, healthcare delivery and technology have changed dramatically, and the demographics of our patient population have evolved as well. Our 31-year old facility is simply no longer adequate to support the efficient delivery of high quality, state-of-the-art healthcare to which Aspen Valley Hospital is committed.
As was typical in the 1970s, the hospital was designed and configured as an inpatient facility. A number of services that are offered today -- MRIs, CT scans, nuclear medicine exams, and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation -- were not offered then. Today, well over half the care the hospital delivers is provided on an outpatient basis. Same-day surgeries and technologically sophisticated diagnostic tests administered on an ambulatory basis are the norm. The shift to outpatient services has led to a mix of service areas that causes inefficiencies, overcrowding, lack of patient privacy, and inappropriate patient encounters.
The master facilities plan addresses these and other realities of modern healthcare delivery and endeavors to anticipate emerging trends so our hospital remains modern for years to come.
The Master Facilities Plan Components
The new facility will be state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious, and patient and family oriented. It will allow for greater efficiencies and enhanced patient privacy and safety, meet contemporary standards, and be worthy of the high standards of excellence demanded by our community and visitors.
The patient-centered plan calls for a doubling to tripling in size of all patient service areas, including Emergency, Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery, Patient Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Cardiology, Obstetrics, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Cardiopulmonary, Cardiac Rehabilitation; Nuclear Medicine, and Physical Therapy as well as the specialty clinics.
Other enhancements include increased parking capacity, a new vehicular entrance access, a new cafeteria, a new public lobby area, additional conference rooms, the relocation of the helipad, and medical office space.
The plan also provides for private rooms, which are now the industry standard in healthcare. Our patients expect them, and they enhance medical care and address privacy concerns.
The Aspen Birth Center, an expansion and renovation of the obstetrical department, was completed in the fall of 2008 as a result of prior approvals by county officials. It features new private patient rooms and the latest in contemporary design.
Sustainable Design and Construction
Design and construction of the new hospital support the principles of environmentally sustainable architecture and engineering. The overall building design is reflective of the hospital’s state-of-the-art capabilities, and the architecture is modern with a warm contemporary feel.
The use of renewable and sustainable building materials advances the goal of energy efficiency and environmental awareness. Building materials include stone, brick, metal belting, and many windows to take advantage of the beauty of the setting and natural light.
The goal is to not only design and build a “green” hospital but one that can achieve the prestigious designation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Very few hospitals are recognized for environmental leadership, let alone strive for it. In our environmentally conscious community, it is imperative.
Optimal Healing Environment
Extensive research shows that the environmental qualities of a healthcare facility play a large role in promoting optimal health and healing. An essential component of the plan is for Aspen Valley Hospital to be patient and family centered with healing gardens, reflective meditation sites, and the use of water and natural materials that are renewable and sustainable.
The use of natural daylight in patient care and staff support areas reduces energy consumption, provides an important connection with nature, and supports a better healing environment. A healing garden, a feature that is now common in healthcare design and construction, will have serve as a quiet, contemplative area.
For more information about the Master Facilities Plan, please contact project manager John Schied at (970) 544-1149.
