WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — A medical center in Wheat Ridge will officially change locations Saturday, moving roughly 180 patients to a new care site in what will be one of Colorado's largest hospital transfers in years.
Intermountain Health had previously announced it would close Lutheran Medical Center on West 38th Avenue and transfer its health care operations to the new Lutheran Hospital at Interstate 70 and 40th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, 3.5 miles west of the existing location.
Lutheran Medical Center will close at 6 a.m. Saturday, the same time the new hospital's emergency room at 12911 W. 40th Ave. is expected to open, according to an Intermountain Health spokesperson. People with medical emergencies are asked to seek care at the new hospital or call 911.
The transfer of approximately 180 patients will start at 8 a.m. with the help of local EMS agencies and approximately 20 ambulances, the spokesperson said. Wheat Ridge Police will help monitor the route.
Due to recent wildfires, Intermountain Health is monitoring the air quality "and will take precautions as necessary," but doesn't expect patient transfers to be affected, the spokesperson said.