TL5-6 Talking Points Keep Associates Informed
October 22, 2010
This message is intended for all Penrose-St. Francis Health Services associates and SFHC tenants. For more information, contact Larry at or 776-5249.
SFHC Update: Community Resource Center a Possibility
We have decided to extend the anticipated closing date of St. Francis Health Center to March 31, 2011. We currently have no buyers for the building. However, within the past two months, several anonymous community players have begun to form coalitions in an effort to use and develop the building into a community resource center to meet the growing social and health needs of the Colorado Springs community.
Since our last communication, the Sleep Lab has moved out of St. Francis Health Center (SFHC) and now enjoys the new confines of being on our St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC) campus at Woodmen and Powers. Additionally, the Penrose-St. Francis Clinical Pastoral Education Program is moving out of SFHC on Nov. 6th. The program supports men and women serving a year-long residency as a part of their training as a minister both in and out of healthcare.
Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care has entered into a Letter of Intent with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services to move patient care to PenroseHospital. Pikes Peak Hospice will pay for the remodeling of the 6th floor of PenroseHospital. The remodel and move will come in 2011.
The PSF Behavioral Health Program is currently a part of multiple discussions with various community agencies and providers. From the time of the announcement to close SFHC, Penrose has sought community involvement and a community solution to serving the mentally ill within Colorado Springs. While Penrose-St. Francis will continue to support the needs of the behaviorally ill in Colorado Springs, its future locations and future partners remain unknown at this time. Understanding the difficulty this represents for many, especially our loyal associates, we do want to make the best decision possible.
Other news: We are adding another security officer for the day shift at the SFHC campus. This means two officers will be available all day long. One officer will be stationed on the Behavioral Health unit.
Significant conversations are happening every week – and at all levels of the community – as we collectively decide the future of the building and many of its occupants. As always we appreciate your support and patience, and welcome your feedback.
We extend the healing ministry of Christ by caring for those who are ill and by nurturing the health of the people in our communities.
November 12, 2010
From the desk of: Jamie Smith, Chief Operating Officer
This message is intended for all Penrose-St. Francis Health Services associates. For more information on this topic, contact Jamie at 776-5117 or
Organizations Collaborate to Redesign In-Patient Behavioral Health Services
Over the past few months, key health providers within Colorado Springs have met to discuss how to improvethe provision of behavioral health services for the Colorado Springs community.The conversationstook on a sense of urgency with Penrose-St. Francis (PSF) announcing the closing of St. Francis Health Center where the PSF in-patient behavioral health program is housed.
The community providers began to look at a new model of providing services based on a number of factors:
The growing number of behavioral health challenges in our community; some among the highest in the country
Declining reimbursement in State and Federal programs
Desire to build a model based on collaboration versus competition
Using existing community resources differently
The conversations are now leading AspenPointe,CedarSpringsHospital, Memorial Health System and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services to solidify those intentionsinto a Letter of Agreement which develops a partnership for providing services in the community.
The proposed partnership will generate an additional capacity of up to 20 beds. The additional services will also take some pressure off area hospital emergency rooms and enhance the network of care among Colorado Springs healthcare providers.
Once the details are finalized, the in-patient unit at St. Francis Health Center will close. PSF will continue to provide out-patient services for psychiatric patients. Discussions are currently underway on how the new partnership can utilize and employ the health professionals who currently work at St. Francis Health Center.
We expect to have the details finalized in early 2011.
We extend the healing ministry of Christ by caring for those who are ill and by nurturing the health of the people in our communities.