Middle Park Health plans to build a two-story 30,000-square-foot hospital near Telemark Drive and U.S. Highway 40 in Fraser called MPH-Fraser Campus. The first floor will have four emergency exam rooms, two trauma bays, two licensed hospital beds, and CT scan, X-ray and lab services. The plan also includes a helicopter pad for emergency services. The second floor will be used for expanding community needs.

In an update to the Fraser Board of Trustees, Andrew Radzavich, Middle Park Medical Foundation’s executive director, said the slated date for completion is May 2025 and the groundbreaking will happen at the end of April.

“So a pretty quick turnaround,” Radzavich said a the meeting.

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Radzavich said Grand County needs a hospital in Fraser because of the increasing popularity of Grand County as a tourist destination, an aging permanent population and increasing volume at Middle Park’s Granby Hospital.

“East Grand has the least amount of medical services in the most densely populated area of the county,” Radzavich stated in an email to Sky-Hi News.

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Radzavich said especially on days like Jan. 15, when blizzard conditions meant helicopters weren’t flying and avalanches and heavy snowfall closed Berthoud Pass, the Eisenhower tunnel, and Rabbit Ears Pass, it would be very difficult to get out of Grand County to receive medical attention.

Grand County would benefit from another hospital in the region, Radzavich said. He added the hospital will serve Grand County as it expands and will ensure people living in Grand County have adequate access to medical services in the future.

The Middle Park Medical Foundation is still raising money to build the facility as part of its capital campaign. The foundation raised about $560,000 and hopes to reach its $5 million goal. The project is also considered an Enterprise Zone Contribution Project that qualifies donations for up to 25% extra tax credit, according to Radzavich.

The entire Fraser hospital will cost about $30 million.

Radzavich said the Middle Park Health secured the remaining $25 million from a private loan from an investment firm.

Middle Park Health plans to hire four to five more emergency physicians, seven to eight new nursing staff, and four to five radiology staff, according to Thomas Coburn, Middle Park’s chief medical officer.

Staff will work across Middle Park’s facilities.

Tiffany Freitag, Middle Park’s director of business development, said she’s not very worried about recruiting staff. Freitag spoke with 19 physicians interested in a recent position opening.

Radzavich said that Middle Park recently added housing stipends to hospital positions which seemed to immediately increase interest.

The Fraser campus will increase synergy across Grand County’s healthcare system, Radzavich said. Other doctors and clinics can use Fraser’s labs, X-rays, and CT services when needed instead of sending patients to the Front Range or elsewhere.

“It’s about the community, more than just us,” Radzavich said.

Radzavich said mental health is a hot topic of conversation in Grand County. The Middle Park Health plans to provide a new point of access for people needing mental health care. Radzavich said Middle Park already has behavioral patient navigators whose job is to study social determinants of health.

Middle Park is also hiring a psychiatric nurse practitioner who will rotate between campuses and help address mental health issues in Grand County.

Middle Park’s CEO Jason Cleckler says that rural hospitals are facing significant challenges currently.

“MPH has a strong strategic plan and a conservative approach to managing our finances in order to remain viable through this period,” Cleckler stated. “The building of the Fraser campus fits with our plan to serve the community and will result in a better financial situation not only for MPH but also the community as a whole by keeping care local and boosting economic development.”

Radzavich and Freitag showed the board a video tour of a rendering of the hospital, which is available on Middle Park Medical Foundation’s website.

Other business:

• The Board of Trustees unanimously passed Resolution 2023-03-08 to support HB24-1223, a statewide bill aiming to provide increased child care access especially for low-income families.
• Sarah Catanzarite, Fraser’s assistant town manager, told the trustees that Great Outdoors Colorado denied Fraser’s recent grant pre-application to fund a bike park at Cozens Ranch. Great Outdoors Colorado said they liked the bike park idea and encouraged Fraser to reapply during their next cycle late this summer, Catanzarite said.