Groundbreaking ceremony for the new CHRISTUS Health community hospital at 401 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos Thursday morning. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
CHRISTUS St. Vincent Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Gonzales at Thursday’s ceremony. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Representing the Knights of Columbus, the former owners of the property at Thursday’s ceremony are, from left to right, Sandy Lucero and husband Marco Lucero, Deacon Don Lucero, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish pastor Father John Daniel and Charles Richardson, current KOC Grand Knight, Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
CHRISTUS St. Vincent Chief Operating Officer Hope Wade speaks at Thursday’s groundbreaking in Los Alamos. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Leo Almanzan, left, Vice President of Mission Integration at CHRISTUS St, Vincent and Father John Daniel, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Scene from Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony at 410 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos. Photo by Maire ONeill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Representatives of CHRISTUS St. Vincent, Los Alamos County and the local community joined in a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at 401 Trinity Drive in Los Alamos where there was definitely a hum of excitement about the new facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
The new hospital will be 37,277 feet and is expected to include a wide range of services under one roof, including an emergency department with seven treatment rooms, a dedicated trauma room and two triage rooms. Also included will be an endoscopy suite for GI procedures, three operating rooms equipped for surgical, colonoscopy and procedural care; comprehensive imaging services, including CT, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound, according to CHRISTUS officials. The hospital will also have four inpatient beds, an on-site laboratory and pharmacy services as well as a six-chair infusion center for cancer care.
CHRISTUS President and CEO Lillian Montoya called it an exciting day for CHRISTUS St. Vincent, for Los Alamos and, most importantly, for the people and families who call Los Alamos home. She thanked everyone who has believed in the vision of having the community hospital in Los Alamos including community leaders, CHRISTUS partners, physicians,
providers and associates,
“Breaking ground on this new community hospital is a very special moment for all of us at
CHRISTUS St. Vincent. But today is about much more than a new building. It is about people. It is about families. And it is about making sure the communities we serve have access to exceptional, compassionate health care as close to home as possible,” Montoya said.
She noted that At CHRISTUS St. Vincent, we have always believed that health care is deeply personal.
“When you or someone you love needs care, you want to know that it is there for you — and that you will be cared for by people you know and trust,” Montoya said.
She said the CHRISTUS relationship with Los Alamos goes back more than a decade, beginning with our Sports Medicine Clinic, and that over time, that commitment has grown to include primary care, cardiology and oncology services.
“And today, we begin the next chapter of that journey together. This new community hospital represents an investment in Los Alamos, an investment in access to care and an investment in our promise to continue serving the people of Northern New Mexico for generations to come,” she said. “CHRISTUS St. Vincent has been serving Northern New Mexico for more than 160 years. Throughout that history, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to go where we are needed and to care for patients and their families with dignity, compassion and respect. Today, that mission continues right here in Los Alamos.”
Chief Operating Officer Hope Wade said it is wonderful to celebrate a project that has
been thoughtfully designed around the needs of patients and families in Los Alamos and the surrounding communities.
“Our goal is to make accessing care easier and more convenient by bringing a broad range of essential services together in one location,” Wade said.
She noted that by bringing services together under one roof, CHRISTUS is creating a more integrated approach to care — one designed around the patient and the needs of the community.
“This hospital will complement the services CHRISTUS St. Vincent already provides in Los Alamos and strengthen the continuum of care available locally. Building a hospital is a tremendous undertaking, and reaching this milestone is possible because of the dedication and collaboration of many people,” Wade said.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Gonzales said that as a physician, what excites me most about the project is what it will mean for patients.
“When people need care, especially during an emergency or when facing a serious illness, distance matters. Time matters. And having access to trusted, high-quality care close to home can make an important difference for patients and their families,” Dr. Gonzales said. “This new hospital will give our physicians, providers and care teams the resources to deliver more comprehensive care right here in Los Alamos.”
He said having emergency care, surgical and procedural services, advanced imaging, laboratory services, inpatient care and cancer infusion services in one location will allow the hospital team to work together more closely and help create a more coordinated experience for our patients. For many patients this will mean less traveling time or care.
Dr. Gonzales also mentioned that as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, CHRISTUS St. Vincent also provides its physicians with access to Mayo Clinic’s clinical knowledge and expertise, including the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic specialists on complex cases.
“This relationship provides our physicians with additional clinical resources while allowing
patients to continue receiving care from the local physicians and providers they know and trust
For our medical teams, this new hospital represents an exciting opportunity to expand the way
we care for this community and to build even stronger connections between patients, physicians, providers and services,” Gonzales said. “For our patients, we hope it represents peace of mind knowing that exceptional, compassionate
care is available closer to home.”
CHRISTUS President and CEO Lillian Montoya kicks off Thursday’s event. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losaamosreporter.com
Father John Daniel of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church prepares to sprinkle holy water during Thursday’s ceremony. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
From right, Barbara Phelps, Marna Reidel and Amy Wilson at Thursday’s event. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Manager Anne Laurent, far right, chats with Trinity Urgent Care’s Sheila McClees and Trinity Office Manager Jerrica Manager Thursday following the CHRISTUS groundbreaking ceremony in Los Alamos. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Scene from the groundbreaking ceremony for the new CHRISTUS Health community hospital. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com