AdventHealth Lays Groundwork for New Denver Metro Hospital

AdventHealth has unveiled plans to become the first health care provider to build a medical campus in The Aurora Highlands, a 4,000-acre (1,600-hectare) master planned community south of Denver International Airport in Colorado, United States.

The new medical campus will be a dual-phased initiative that starts with the construction of the AdventHealth Aurora Highlands Emergency Room (ER) and medical office building, followed by plans to expand into an acute-care hospital. 

The first phase of the project will involve an investment of US$81 million to develop an 88,000-square-foot (8,175-square-meter) facility located just south of The Aurora Highlands Parkway exit on E-470. The three-story building will include a freestanding emergency room with eight exam rooms, two trauma exam rooms, and a helipad. It will also have an outpatient imaging center with CT, ultrasound, and X-ray on day one, with plans to add MRI in the future. Finally, it will include clinic space on the second floor, with 27 exam rooms. The third floor will be shelled space for future clinic growth. 

The AdventHealth Aurora Highlands ER will use geothermal energy to heat and cool the building, helping reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. This effort will make strides on AdventHealth’s aspirations around making a positive impact on climate change. In 2022 AdventHealth signed the U.S. Health and Human Services Health Sector Climate Pledge, committing to reduce emissions from onsite operations and purchased electricity by 50 percent in 2030. 

The AdventHealth Aurora Highlands ER expects to start operations in September 2026. When the campus opens, it will be considered a department of AdventHealth Parker. 

“The Aurora Highlands is one of the fastest-growing areas in the Colorado market,” said Michael Goebel, CEO of AdventHealth Parker and AdventHealth Aurora Highlands ER. “Right now the closest emergency room is at least nine miles away. This facility not only will provide whole-person care closer to home but will keep families from having to fight traffic to get the care they need.”

Phase 2 of the project will include expanding into a Level III trauma hospital. The American Trauma Society defines a Level III trauma hospital as a space that has demonstrated an ability to provide advanced trauma life support, providing evaluation, stabilization, and diagnostic capabilities for injured patients. The Aurora Highlands neighborhood is expected to grow by nearly 40 percent in the next 10 years, and AdventHealth looks forward to growing with the community. 

“AdventHealth’s arrival at The Aurora Highlands marks an exciting milestone for our growing community,” said Carla Ferreira, CEO and principal developer of The Aurora Highlands. “This state-of-the-art facility will provide convenient access to world-class health care while creating valuable jobs that support the growth and vitality of the region. We are thrilled to welcome AdventHealth to The Aurora Highlands as we continue building a connected, thriving place where people can live, work and flourish.” 

Adventist health-care leaders said this expansion is part of AdventHealth’s commitment to caring for the communities where they belong, and the organization looks forward to extending the healing ministry of Christ to the northeast Denver metro area.

The original version of this story was posted on the Mid-America Union Conference Outlook.