First, Lutheran Hospital moved to a new location. Now, an agreement has been reached that could put the hospital’s day-to-day operations under new management.
Intermountain became Lutheran’s parent system through its 2022 merger with SCL Health, which had operated Lutheran for decades. The new campus at Clear Creek Crossing at 12911 W. 40th Ave. is a six-story, 620,000-square-foot hospital that opened Aug. 3, 2024, replacing the hospital’s longtime campus near West 38th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. The facility now has 226 patient beds, 10 operating rooms and a Level II trauma center and remains Jefferson County’s only hospital with a labor and delivery program. The next phase of transition for Lutheran Hospital is a change in management.
Intermountain Health and AdventHealth reached a definitive agreement Aug. 6 to bring together eight Denver-area hospitals in a joint venture, with AdventHealth slated to lead operations, including at Lutheran Hospital. The August signing marked a step forward from the organizations’ initial July 21 announcement, when they said they intended to pursue the partnership. Regulatory approval is still needed and the transaction is expected to close in early 2027. Colorado’s Hospital Transfer Act gives the attorney general a role in reviewing certain hospital transactions.
AdventHealth is not new to operating hospitals in Colorado. The five hospitals included in the proposed venture were previously managed through Centura Health, a partnership between AdventHealth and CommonSpirit Health. That 27-year partnership ended in 2023, when AdventHealth assumed direct management of its five Colorado hospitals and affiliated care sites.
If the transaction is approved, Intermountain Health’s Lutheran Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette and Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton, along with their related physician practices and clinics will enter the joint venture with AdventHealth’s five Denver-area hospitals: Avista, Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker and Porter as well as off-site emergency and urgent care centers and dozens of medical practices. Intermountain’s Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver and its affiliated clinics are not included in the agreement.
The arrangement does not mean AdventHealth is acquiring Lutheran Hospital outright, as Intermountain will remain a partner. Until the transaction is completed, Lutheran continues to operate as Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital. No operational handoff has yet occurred and a specific date for AdventHealth to begin managing Lutheran Hospital or details on how the transition will be implemented have not been announced.
Lutheran Hospital is Wheat Ridge’s largest employer and has an economic impact of approximately $1.1 billion annually, according to figures reported by the Neighborhood Gazette in 2024, before the move to the Clear Creek Crossing campus.
Wheat Ridge patients and staff members may be affected by the upcoming changes. Those figures were reported by the Wheat Ridge Gazette in 2024, before Lutheran moved to the Clear Creek Crossing campus, which raises questions about how the venture may affect the hospital, its employees and its patients.
While Intermountain will remain a partner, it has not been disclosed how ownership will be allocated or dollars divided. Several other questions remain unanswered, including whether Lutheran Hospital will be rebranded, how staff positions and technology systems could be affected and what changes patients can expect.
According to the announcement, both organizations are evaluating how to build on their respective capabilities but does not detail what the transition may look like specifically for Lutheran Hospital. Lutheran Hospital declined the Wheat Ridge Gazette’s request for an interview and to provide additional comment about the proposed venture and upcoming changes.
On Aug. 12 it was announced that Scott Peek will represent Intermountain on the board of the new venture with AdventHealth. Peek will represent Intermountain’s Peaks Region including Colorado, Montana, eastern Wyoming and New Mexico. He most recently served as the operational lead for the region and the president of Intermountain’s Front Range market. In his new role, he will oversee business and clinical operations across the Peaks Region in addition to his position on the board. Though the full board structure has not yet been announced, this appointment is a preliminary indicator of how Intermountain will be represented in the venture’s governance.
Executives from both systems are framing the agreement around improving access and creating a more connected network. AdventHealth President and CEO David Banks said combining the organizations’ capabilities could expand access, add services and improve clinical quality. Intermountain President and CEO Rob Allen said the partnership could create a more connected experience for patients and care teams across the Denver area.
The proposed venture also comes as both health systems have faced financial challenges in Colorado. According to independent health care analyst Allan Baumgarten, AdventHealth’s Denver-area hospitals lost $68 million in 2024 while Intermountain’s Denver-area hospitals lost $155 million. It has been reported that most of Intermountain’s losses came from Lutheran as it transitioned to its new campus. Baumgarten’s figures provide financial context for the partnership, but neither AdventHealth nor Intermountain has publicly said the losses prompted the joint venture.
After several years of transition, Lutheran Hospital is preparing for the future of healthcare for patients through the changes to operational management.
Lutheran Hospital is committed to updating the public as additional information becomes available.
