St. Mary-Corwin Expansion

$59 million, the single largest commercial structure in Pueblo

On a sunny, but chilly morning in January, over 300 guests gathered at the new addition to St. Mary Corwin Hospital in Pueblo to celebrate the opening of the expanded facility.

(left to right) Phil Brown, Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Ambassador; Rod Slyhoff, President/CEO of Pueblo Chamber of Commerce; Sandy Gutierrez, President/CEO of Latino Chamber of Commerce; Jack Quinn, President of St. Mary-Corwin Board of Trustees; Sonja Clark, President of St. Mary-Corwin Foundation Board; Greg Burfitt, CEO of Centura Health; Tom Anderson, CEO of St. Mary-Corwin; Bishop Arthur Tafoya; Michael Fordyce, Catholic Health Initiatives; Rich Kamornic, President of St. Mary-Corwin Volunteers; Deborah Storey, Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.

New components of the expansion included a new Emergency Department; New Intensive Care Unit; Comprehensive, One-Stop Cancer Center; 112 private patient rooms, and enhanced diagnostic services.

The Speakers at this event were significant: Mike Occhiatto, Pueblo City Council, President; Ray Aguilera, Pueblo City Council; Matt Puelen, Pueblo County Commissioner; Greg Buffitt, Centura Health, CEO; Michael Fordyce, Catholic Health Initiatives; Jack Quinn, St. Mary-Corwin Board of Trustees, President; and Tom Anderson, St. Mary-Corwin, CEO. Most of the speakers expressed the need for expansion and thanked the staff for consistently to producing a continuous project through two years of construction.

Notable among the requirements were the following:
• A mile and a half of curb and gutter
• Two acres of new landscaping
• 11,000 cubic yards of concrete; the equivalent of six football fields with 3” thick concrete
• 2.5 million pounds of steel
• Over two miles of built in cabinets
• 100,000 square feet of insulation
• 110,000 square feet of roofing
• 850 doors
• A half and acre of glass
• Over six miles of drywall partitions
• 13.5 acres of drywall
• Five acres of flowing
• Five elevators

Jack Quinn spoke of a noted historical perspective. He shared with all that in the mid-90s the hospital was the target for closure or merger with Parkview Medical Center. “The owner was this close to shutting us down, this close,” Quinn said.

St. Mary-Corwin has a 120-year legacy:
• 1880 - Colorado Fuel & Iron Company opened a hospital on the grounds of the company’s Minnequa plant
• 1882 - Sisters of Charity establish St. Mary’s Hospital in two-story boarding house in Pueblo.
• 1902 - The new Minnequa hospital opens.
• 1929 - Dr. Richard Corwin dies and Minnequa Hospital is renamed Corwin Hospital.
• Late 1940’s - Colorado Fuel & Iron Company transfers ownership of Corwin Hospital to Sisters of Charity for $1.
• 1950 - Corwin Hospital composed of three wings, two floors, 200 beds.
• 1957 - Sisters of Charity consolidate the two hospitals; construct a new facility over and around Corwin Hospital. St. Mary-Corwin Hospital has nearly 500 beds and state-of-the-art equipment.
• 1960’s - Expansion of facilities and services continue.
• 1970’s - Southern Colorado Family Medicine residency program is born.
• Mid-1980’s - $8.4 million addition completed.
• 2003 - Medical and Technology Pavilion opens
• 2006 - St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center opens $59 million addition.

During the blessing, Bishop Tafoya reminded all present that the Sisters of Charity, whom opened the hospital, always had room for the poor and he urged the hospital to continue charity work.