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On December 2nd, 2023, we opened the doors to Longview with a mission: to foster hope, healing, and recovery for individuals struggling with mental illness and substance use. After three failed ballot measures, the voters of Larimer County committed to ensuring this community’s access to essential behavioral health services. At SummitStone Health Partners, we envisioned a future where we could offer the highest quality crisis care driven by the talent and skill of our staff, the needs of our community, the strength and depth of our community partnerships, and our commitment to best practice and innovation. Our goal was to create an environment where individuals feel seen, heard, and supported on their journeys towards the lives they want to lead.
By any measure, our Longview services are a success. With clinical team members and medical team members working side by side, a state of the art facility built for the work we do, advanced technology like OxeVision, and the strength of our community partnerships with law enforcement, first responders, and local hospitals, we deliver an integrated and collaborative model of care that has few peers across the country. On that weekend in December 2023, we didn’t know whether we would serve five clients or fifty. We filled those initial beds in 36 hours. We started with 16 beds. We now have 32. We anticipated 5,000 urgent care visits in our first year; we’ve seen approximately 6,400 visits. We anticipated 2,500 admissions to our units; we’ve seen about 3,000. We opened a lab and a pharmacy and provided valuable learning experiences for students in social work, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and psychology. We’ve exceeded our expectations in just about every area.
As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the stories of resilience, courage, and hope that have defined our first year. Feedback from our clients serves as the most powerful motivation, reminding us of the essential reasons to pursue this journey.
“The staff treated me even more human than the last time. They were kind, caring, compassionate, and understanding. They helped me with so many resources, and I truly feel ready to give this shot my best! Y’all were so good, I want to come back and give what I can!”
“This was the most pleasant and helpful place in Colorado I have ever been to, and I have been to a lot of places.”
We celebrate the courage and strength of those who sought our services. We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of their journey.
As we take a moment to celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on the future. There is still much work to be done. Although we have started to fill an important gap in our community, the need persists and will continue to evolve. We look forward to opening more beds at Longview, welcoming more learners, and establishing ourselves as a future Center of Excellence in acute care. Our commitment lies in supporting and growing our existing team members, educating our future workforce and introducing them to our innovative care model. Together, we aim to continuously raise the standard for behavioral health in our community today and every day.
We are grateful to the voters of Larimer County who invest their tax dollars to bridge a critical gap in our community’s access to behavioral health care and to the County Commissioners who entrust us with operating and managing this invaluable community asset. We are equally grateful to all our staff who, in just one year, turned thousands of struggles into stories of recovery and strength. From direct care staff to operational team members, we stand by our value of Stronger Together. The dedication of all our staff shines as an enduring and guiding light of support for so many.
SummitStone’s Executive team and Longview’s leadership team extend our deepest gratitude to all who gave their time, energy, and expertise to make Longview a reality. Thank you! Together, we can continue to boldly raise the bar toward a future where everyone has access to the behavioral health care they deserve, where stigma is eradicated, and where healing is an achievable reality. Here’s to an amazing first year and many more to come!
Dr. Lesley Brooks
Chief Medical Officer
SummitStone Health Partners
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