HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge has been a cornerstone of care for the growing North Metro Denver region for more than 40 years.

The 157-bed hospital formerly known as North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colorado, maintains the only Level II trauma center in Adams County. Level II certification means the trauma center delivers immediate and comprehensive care for severely injured or ill patients.

To further enhance emergency care capabilities and redundancy, hospital leaders initiated a plan to convert a paved parking area into a new ground-level helipad for air ambulance services. The project included construction of an adjacent structural precast hangar and indoor work space for employees who support helipad operations and maintenance.  

"There were some pretty unique challenges in terms of laying out the site."

Path 21 Architecture and Planning – now Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) – served as the project architect and engaged Olsson to provide civil engineering and consulting services. In addition to handling site design, we helped manage the project’s complexities to avoid disruption of patient care and employee access during construction.

“There were some pretty unique challenges in terms of laying out the site,” said civil engineer David Pendleton, associate project manager for Olsson. “One key element involved removal of a parking area while ensuring access to the hospital would remain intact without causing parking disruption. Accessibility for people with disabilities was also a major component to ensure all staff could use the route from the new building to the existing building.”

In addition, our design maximized safe, efficient roadway access for ground ambulances and fire trucks. When it came time to reroute the water main that ran underneath the parking area, we collaborated with stakeholders to minimize disruption to the medical center’s water service while the old line was abandoned and the new line was connected.

Additionally, we assisted with construction phasing so the hospital could maintain emergency vehicle access throughout the work phases. Other project partners included Wells, WSP, KL&A Engineers and Builders, and RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture.

“It went really well,” David said. “We did a lot of planning and communication with representatives from the city, contractor, local fire department, and the hospital’s project leaders. We were able to turn water off in a planned sequence so that water service was maintained to areas of the hospital throughout the work.”

The fully completed upgrades have improved air ambulance and overall emergency services for a growing region in Colorado that will continue to rely on HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge for decades to come.