Platte Valley Medical Center starts talks to join SCL Health

BRIGHTON — Platte Valley Medical Center announced on Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to join SCL Health System to support expanded access to health care for people in Brighton, Adams County and southern Weld County.

The nonbinding letter initiates formal discussions to develop a potential relationship. If all goes as planned, they expect to sign a definitive agreement by the end of the summer.

Under the proposed arrangement, Brighton-based PVMC will remain a separate entity with its own administration, medical staff, employees and board of directors. The Platte Valley Medical Center Foundation’s relationship with the hospital also will remain unchanged.

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Financial details of the relationship have not been disclosed. According to a prepared statement, a benefit of this combination is SCL Health’s partnership with Kaiser Permanente in Adams County, which may allow PVMC the opportunity to serve Kaiser members.

PVMC’s board chairman Faye Hummel said the SCL Health/PVMC relationship is about creating synergy between two organizations to provide expanded access to resources and services, and enhanced quality of care.

“Together, we can successfully build the network and services required to fulfill the needs of the community and become the regional medical center serving the community of Brighton and surrounding areas. In addition, we anticipate that this relationship will allow PVMC to continue its patient-centered culture, as well as maintain its strong group of physicians and staff,” Hummel added.

Mike Slubowski, president and chief executive of the faith-based SCL Health, said in a statement that SCL Health and PVMC both have strong charitable traditions that will continue. SCL contributes about $226 million a year to the communities it serves in Colorado, Kansas and Montana.

SCL Health, founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, operates a $2.4 billion network of eight hospitals, more than 160 physician clinics and provides services that include home health care, hospice, mental health care, and safety-net services.

SLC is moving its headquarters in July from Denver to the Interlocken business park in Broomfield where it currently houses the majority of its administrative staff.

Platte Valley Medical Center opened its doors as Brighton Community Hospital in 1960. In 2007, Platte Valley Medical Center moved to a new 50-acre campus at I-76 and 144th Avenue. Earlier this month, PVMC broke ground on an acute-care hospital in Fort Lupton that will house family medicine physicians, occupational medicine services and urgent care.