Many consider Lutheran Medical Center to be the fabric of Wheat Ridge. With humble beginnings as a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1905, Lutheran has experienced over a century of growth and expansion to meet the community’s healthcare needs. It is the only hospital in Jefferson County that cares for patients from their first breath to their last and everything in between.
While many people in the area are familiar with Lutheran and have likely sought care there a time or two, few know much about the Lutheran Foundation. As the fundraising arm of the hospital, the Foundation has raised money since its inception in 1975 to help support caregivers and patients within the hospital.
Over the years, generous donor contributions have helped the Foundation fund life-saving medical equipment, upgrades to the latest and most advanced technology, education opportunities for health professionals and community members, resiliency programs and more.
For Women and Infant Services, the Foundation helped fund lactation services for nursing mothers, and the Cuddler Program for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit babies.
Foundation support allows our Care Management department to provide programs such as A Perfect Homecoming, which helps at-risk seniors in Jeffco after discharge to ensure access to resources and services, as well as an Outpatient Pharmacy program that covers the costs of prescriptions for patients unable to afford them, and a program that helps supply clothes, hygiene products and essentials to our most vulnerable populations exiting the hospital.
Thanks to Foundation funds, our Trauma Department has offered “Stop the Bleed” training and kits to the broader community and first responders. The Foundation works with Cancer Services to offer integrative health services to patients, update equipment, and honor survivors during the annual Cancer Survivors Day.
At West Pines Behavioral Hospital, the Foundation has funded improvements to help keep patients and caregivers safe. Lutheran Hospice receives significant support from community donations to provide end-of-life care, education materials for families and bereavement counseling for anyone in the community that has experienced the loss of a loved one.
Through community giving and support, individuals and organizations help the Lutheran Foundation and hospital offer valuable programming, resources and guidance, reducing healthcare disparities and improving access and outcomes for those who need it most.
The Lutheran Foundation focuses on fundraising with our future in mind, ensuring that the care we offer today leads to a healthier tomorrow. To fulfill its commitment to caring for the community over the next 100 years, Lutheran embarked on building a new state-of-the-art replacement hospital at Clear Creek Crossing.
The Legacy Continues Campaign to support the new Lutheran is underway, and the Foundation is proud to support the hospital’s efforts.
