Medical Center of the Rockies adds beds

Medical Center of the Rockies is adding eight private patient beds to deal with increased patient volumes.

The Loveland hospital’s daily census has grown from an average of 94 patients two years ago to about 130 today. The hospital is licensed for 166 beds.

The orthopedics, surgical, cardiac and medical units will add two beds each.

The new rooms will be carved out of existing resource rooms and family kitchen areas on the third and fourth floors of the hospital at 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave.

“This growth warrants on a daily basis a need for more inpatient beds,” MCR Chief Nursing Officer Bonnie Clipper said in a University of Colorado Health newsletter. “Converting these eight rooms to patient rooms is the fastest and most cost-effective way to create that extra space.”

The two resource rooms per floor will merge into a new single location shared by both units on the floor.

Once the resource, office and family rooms are relocated, the space will be converted into private patient rooms.

The project is expected to be completed in mid-June.