Each month, Andrea Burch, President of Intermountain Lutheran Hospital, shares insights on healthcare innovation, community wellness initiatives, and behind-the-scenes updates on how the new hospital is taking shape. From medical breakthroughs to heartfelt patient stories, this interview connects our readers with the pulse of local healthcare.
I met President Burch at a local coffee shop. It was 103 days since the hospital had made its’ one day move. I asked if it felt like home yet? Burch answered with a handful of rapid fire answers, like she’s been waiting to share them with me. While the move was 2 years in the planning, She remembers working with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). Because the original address was in Golden, The DEA stepped in and blocked any pharmaceutical orders until the post office was able to change the address to a Wheat Ridge 80033.
Burch admits that if she could do it over, she’d give departments more time to setting up their areas and stock what was needed, where it’s needed.
What’s going on with the old campus? Intermountain has indeed chosen one developer to work with on the old campus. Apparently they are in step with the city’s master plan. That was as much information as I could get for now. Burch is solely focused on the new hospital while Intermountain’s real estate division is handling the sale. More news to come for sure.
Burch loves the generational loyalty she sees at Lutheran. From children to their parents, all the way up through their grandparents, all born at Lutheran where 150 babies are born per month.
With 2024 bringing Burch a new hospital and a well deserved promotion… what’s in store for 2025?
One, she has been traveling to Summit County and rural areas of Colorado building a support network and providing smaller hospitals much needed training for their nurses and doctors, operating rooms for their surgeons and funding for programs their communities are dependent on. They will all benefit from the expertise and exceptional care exchanged with other facilities throughout the region.
Another goal Burch has for 2025 is to become a high quality destination for patience with a choice. With 60% of patients at Lutheran being on Medicaid or Medicare, they need to fund those uncompensated services with the other 30%. It’s a tough ask for a private institution.
I push for one more goal and clearly I didn’t have to push too hard. Burch is determined for Intermountain Lutheran Hospital to have their very own float at next summer’s Carnation Festival. I mean, just wow!
What’s coming… Asking about Intermountain’s Insurance company Select Health having only 1% of the market. That was enough of a threat to Kaiser that it bolted out of the system. However Burch warns our community that with Kaiser’s departure from Intermountain, patients are now being sent to facilities already experiencing capacity issues. Waiting hours, and sometimes days, at other hospitals.
Lastly, Burch is excited to add that the coffee cart will now have hot food and will be around until 1AM. Additionally, the cafeteria will soon be open on weekends.
The hour zoomed by and I thanked her as her next appointment showed up. Can’t wait until next month!
Send in your questions for Andrea Burch to WRgazette@gmail.com
