LOVELAND, Colo. (Oct. 20, 2020) — Old spaces are getting new uses as expansion work begins at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at McKee Medical Center. When work is complete, the hospital will have a new coffee shop, conference rooms, employee gym and expanded cancer care.

The expansion of the cancer center has taken over the hospital’s 30-year-old conference and wellness center. Countless faces have passed through the center since it opened in 1990. It hosted CPR classes, birthing classes, the community health fair, flu shots and hospital celebrations. Because the building opened with some community donations, it also was used for HOA meetings, business presentations, chamber of commerce celebrations, dignitaries’ speeches and more.

Demand for the space has dropped over the years, however.

“Use of the conference and wellness center has decreased significantly,” said Wendy Sparks, chief operating officer at Banner Health in Northern Colorado. “The region has grown and there are more options for gatherings. Internally, our need for large meeting space also decreased. We meet virtually or in small groups thanks to COVID.

“The larger need now, however, is to expand local access to high-quality cancer care. We can do that by repurposing this part of our campus,” Sparks said.

McKee renovated space off the main lobby to accommodate two meeting rooms that can seat up to 50 people each. McKee Coffee Corner that was in the conference center expanded to space just inside the emergency room entrance. Finally, a fundraising effort with the McKee Wellness Foundation allowed the hospital to add an employee gym also on the first-floor hall.

“The gym is going in where we used to have a therapy pool,” Sparks said. “The pool closed several years ago, so we are excited to give that space new life.”

Demolition of the conference and wellness center began in August. Construction on the cancer center will last through spring 2021. The cancer center project includes:

•           Expanded chemotherapy infusion area with increased privacy and comfort for patients

•           Creation of a pharmacy dedicated specifically to medical oncology infusion services

•           Additional exam rooms, consultation rooms and physician offices to support having multiple specialists meet as a group with each patient to discuss the patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan.

About McKee Medical Center

McKee Medical Center, opened in 1976, is a fully accredited, private nonprofit facility in Loveland, Colorado. McKee is owned by Banner Health, a nonprofit healthcare system with 29 hospitals in six states. It offers emergency care, cancer care, heart care, orthopedics, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, rehabilitation, intensive care, lab and medical imaging. For more information, please visit www.BannerHealth.com/McKee.