Centura 'health neighborhood' to include expansion

To bolster the infrastructure of its “health neighborhood” model, Centura Health announced that it would spend $20.5 million to expand its medical office in the Southlands shopping mall in Aurora, Colo.

Centura describes its health neighborhood concept as a cluster of providers offering coordinated care from convenient multiple access points. Englewood, Colo.-based Centura is a partnership between Adventist Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives.

Adventist Health is funding expansion of the facility, which will coordinate care with 142-bed Parker Adventist Hospital in nearby Parker.

Centura Health at Southlands now has six physicians and a nurse practitioner providing primary-care services Monday through Friday, as well as five obstetrician/gynecologists assisted by a mid-level provider.

Plans call for building a free-standing emergency department with a helipad, outpatient imaging and laboratory services, outpatient rehabilitation services and an “expanded physician presence,” according to a news release.

Construction is scheduled to start this fall and be completed by next fall.

“Expanding our presence at Southlands through the health neighborhood approach will allow us to provide southeast Aurora and nearby communities more convenient, more comprehensive care,” Morre Dean, Parker Adventist CEO, said in the release. “We want to make sure that we are meeting the individual health needs for this fast-growing area.”