CASTLE ROCK —The number of patients and people using services at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital has grown so much that the relatively small hospital is already planning on expanding to a fourth floor as the community of more than 50,000 continues to grow.
The Centura Health nonprofit hospital officially opened Aug. 1 last year. That first month, the hospital delivered 13 babies, and, in July this year, 46 children. That number went up to 67 deliveries in August.
“It’s the fact that we’re a small community hospital with a lot of details and amenities that the families are looking for for their deliveries,” said Jacque Northrup, family educator at the hospital who oversees the birth concierge services. “We definitely create a unique environment for those deliveries.”
They do that in part by offering free pre-natal and post-natal classes to expecting mothers and their birthing partners, regardless of whether or not a woman has delivered at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital.
This was a relief for Vanessa and John Pappas, who moved to Castle Rock in March and found out around that time Vanessa was expecting. She said she was never much of a baby person and gave birth to their first child, a daughter, last month at the hospital. She also said she was a bit nervous because the child was born early.
“They were all comforting, they were all helpful. They kept us calm and were reassuring everything was going to be fine, and we made it through,” Vanessa Pappas said.
Stephanie Preusse, vice president of business development for the hospital, said it’s those experiences that have more residents coming through for a variety of services, including surgery, mammography, spine procedures and imaging. She said the hospital originally wasn’t planned to open the fourth floor for three to five years.
“I think it’s the great work that our staff provides,” Preusse said.
Part of the way the hospital supports healthy living is through community engagement through fitness and health wellness activities, such as providing free bikes to rent at four locations in town, and offering a community garden at the hospital — where all 95 plots sold out last year, said Shauna Rusovick, wellness coordinator. She said the hospital will be adding new plots next year.
“It’s been kind of neat to see the kids come out and pull carrots out of the ground and wash them and eat them,” she said. “Then you have people who have been gardening their whole lives coming and sharing their family pickle recipe, so it’s been a great community builder.”
In addition, the hospital’s full-service restaurant, Manna, has been more popular than expected with fresh, healthy fare. Most customers come from outside the hospital.
Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue praised the hospital’s community engagement and offerings, aside from providing jobs and spurring economic development. One medical office building has been built near the hospital, another will go up soon, and the Move office building will be constructed across the street.
“It was important to see Castle Rock continue to grow, the economy grow, the construction happening,” Donahue said. “It’s just been important to see them in the community.”
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/yhClayton
