The hospital will have a 101-bed acute care facility featuring a full range of women's services, a strong pediatric care department in partnership with The Children's Hospital, surgical services, intensive care, cardiac services, diagnostic imaging including MRI and CT, a Level III emergency/trauma department, and a clinical laboratory.

Depending on community needs, the hospital will have the capability of a phase II area, which means it can grow as large as 200 beds. The site also will accommodate an 80,000-sf medical office building with parking to facilitate physician practices .

The project will incorporate many of the state-of-the-art concepts pioneered by Celebration Health in Orlando, FL, a hospital developed by Adventist Health System's flagship Florida Hospital in cooperation with the Walt Disney Co.

"For several years, we have been asked by community officials, physicians and residents throughout Douglas County to come to their community," says Joseph R. Swedish, president and CEO of Centura Health. "Given the booming population growth in these areas, it was critical that we find a way to serve their needs and Parker Adventist Hospital will do just that."

The residents of Parker, Elizabeth, Castle Rock and other Douglas County communities now have to travel great distances to obtain hospital care. This hospital will become the second hospital to serve Aurora citizens, providing those residents, physicians and managed care companies with another option in their community.

When completely built-out, the hospital eventually will employ hundreds of nurses, caregivers and other workers.