AdventHealth to take over Intermountain hospitals in Wheat Ridge, Brighton and Lafayette - The Denver Post

What the report says

The Denver Post reports that AdventHealth is set to assume day-to-day control of three Intermountain Health hospitals in the Denver area under a planned “joint venture” announced Tuesday by the two nonprofit health systems. The arrangement covers Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton and Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, as well as related clinics, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. The deal is expected to close in early 2027 if regulators approve it.

Intermountain, based in Salt Lake City, did not clarify to the Post what continuing role it would have in the venture. AdventHealth, headquartered in Florida, said the agreement is not a sale but also did not provide details on the structure. Intermountain’s version of the announcement said it is also reviewing options for Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, including possible partnerships; the Post noted no similar plan was mentioned for St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction.

The move could significantly reshape hospital operations and competition along Colorado’s Front Range. AdventHealth already operates five metro Denver hospitals — Avista, Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker and Porter — along with multiple outpatient and emergency facilities. Intermountain owns 29 other hospitals, all in Utah, aside from its Colorado facilities.

The Post also noted broader market pressures and scrutiny around hospital combinations. Two of the hospitals in the proposed venture, Lutheran and Platte Valley, appeared on a recent National Nurses United list of financially vulnerable hospitals, though Lutheran’s recent move into a $680 million new facility complicates interpretation of its finances. State officials and the U.S. Department of Justice can review health care transactions for potential effects on competition.