Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health have expanded their relationship under a new long-term agreement in Colorado.
Kaiser said the agreement will provide current and future members with access to more leading Metro Denver hospitals and providers. The agreement will include the integration of Kaiser physicians and employees into CommonSpirit hospitals to serve Kaiser members.
CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region, a not-for-profit, Catholic health system, operates 20 hospitals and more than 240 care centers, with a team of more than 16,000 employees and 5,300 physicians and advanced practice clinicians.
Kaiser provides health care services to 515,093 members in Colorado through 33 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians.
“We are proud to have served Coloradans for 55 years and are evolving and expanding access to more high-quality hospitals and providers to better meet the needs of our members for decades to come,” Mike Ramseier, regional president for Kaiser Permanente, said in a statement. “By working together with a like-minded health system, we will fulfill our mission of providing high-quality, affordable health care and improving the health of our members and the communities we serve.”
Beginning in early 2025, this new strategic relationship will provide Kaiser Permanente members with access to CommonSpirit hospitals for inpatient and emergency services. These hospitals include St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, OrthColorado Hospital in Lakewood and Longmont United Hospital in Longmont.
Kaiser Permanente said it plans to integrate specialty care physicians and staff into the medical staffs at St. Anthony Hospital, St. Anthony North Hospital and OrthoColorado Hospital beginning in 2025. This will include hospitalists, general surgeons, orthopedists, cardiologists, palliative care physicians, pulmonologists and other specialists.
“By combining our medical expertise and commitment to compassionate care, CommonSpirit Health and Kaiser Permanente are building a long-term, comprehensive relationship that will change how and where healing can be achieved,” Andrew Gaasch, president of CommonSpirit for the Mountain Region, said in a statement. “We know that healing close to home is important to every patient, and through this collaboration, we look forward to welcoming Kaiser Permanente members and ensuring that every patient receives exceptional care and service when they need us most.”
“We regularly evaluate our relationships with community hospitals and providers to ensure we are providing our members and patients with the right care at the right time and place,” Jeff Krawcek, MD, chief medical officer and president of Colorado Permanente Medical Group, said in a statement. “As we deepen our relationship with CommonSpirit Health, we remain committed to providing exceptional patient care while optimizing our unique care delivery model and exploring new ways to maintain high-quality, affordable health care.”
In Southern Colorado, Kaiser Permanente members have had access to CommonSpirit hospitals in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Cañon City for many years. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente members have access to Penrose Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and St. Francis-Interquest Hospital. Members also have access to St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo.
In addition to aligning with new local hospitals, Kaiser Permanente said it is making investments to build new state-of-the-art medical offices in Lakewood, Parker and Pueblo, and renovating many of its 29 medical offices on the Front Range.
