Colorado's hospitals range from large academic campuses on the Front Range to small community hospitals that serve a single mountain valley or a stretch of the Eastern Plains. Our database lists 140 of them, from Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora and Craig Hospital in Englewood to Aspen Valley Hospital in Pitkin County and Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital in Julesburg. This page explains how Colorado hospitals are licensed, how access differs by region, and how to choose the right facility when you or a family member needs care.

Hospitals in Colorado: Licensing, Oversight and Ownership

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) licenses hospitals in the state. Its Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division inspects facilities, investigates complaints, and surveys hospitals on behalf of the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. A state license confirms that a hospital meets basic safety, staffing and building rules. It is not a quality rating, so look at inspection results and patient-experience data when you compare options.

Individual clinicians are regulated separately. Physicians hold licenses issued by the Colorado Medical Board, and nurses are licensed by the State Board of Nursing. Both boards sit within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). A concern about a doctor's conduct goes to DORA. A concern about hospital conditions, such as infection control or patient rights, goes to CDPHE.

Ownership varies widely, and it affects billing and referral patterns. Nonprofit health systems run many of the large hospitals. Some small hospitals are county or special-district facilities. Government agencies run others: the US Air Force Academy Hospital is a military facility, and the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo is a state hospital operated through the Colorado Department of Human Services. Craig Hospital in Englewood is a nonprofit that specializes in rehabilitation.

Mergers and rebranding change hospital names often. Listings such as Centura Health-Littleton Adventist Hospital and Centura Health-Avista Adventist Hospital carry an older health-system name. When you call, ask for the hospital's current name, its billing office, and whether the physicians who treat you bill separately.

The state also designates trauma centers by level, from Level I comprehensive centers down to Level V facilities that stabilize patients and transfer them. After a serious injury, ambulance crews will usually take you to the nearest appropriate trauma center rather than simply the nearest building.

Metro, Mountain and Plains: How Hospital Access Differs Across Colorado

The Front Range corridor

Most of the state's hospital capacity sits along the I-25 corridor. Denver has 19 listings and Colorado Springs has 15, with Aurora, Thornton, Westminster, Littleton and Englewood filling out the metro ring. Denver is a consolidated city and county, so the Denver County page covers the same ground as the city. To the south, El Paso County includes Cedar Springs Behavioral Health System in Colorado Springs and the US Air Force Academy Hospital on Pinion Drive.

North and east of Denver, Adams County is home to Children's Hospital Colorado on East 16th Avenue in Aurora, Vibra Hospital of Denver in Thornton, and Kindred Healthcare in Northglenn. Arapahoe County includes Centura Health-Littleton Adventist Hospital on South Broadway and Craig Hospital on South Clarkson Street in Englewood. In Boulder County, Boulder Community Hospital on Balsam Avenue and Centura Health-Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville serve the northwest metro area.

One quirk is worth knowing. St Anthony North Health Campus on Orchard Parkway has a Westminster address, but our database files it under Broomfield County. If you cannot find a hospital under the city you expect, check the neighboring county as well.

Mountain towns and the Western Slope

Mountain hospitals are small but busy. Aspen Valley Hospital on Castle Creek Road, St Anthony Summit Medical Center on Peak One Drive in Breckenridge, Pagosa Mountain Hospital in Archuleta County, Middle Park Medical Center in Kremmling, and St. Vincent Hospital in Leadville each cover large areas with modest year-round populations. Winter brings ski injuries, and high elevation can worsen heart and lung conditions and cause altitude illness in visitors. Mountain passes can close in storms, which delays ambulances and transfers to larger hospitals.

On the Western Slope, Grand Junction is the main hub, with four listings including West Springs Hospital on 28 3/4 Road. Colorado Canyons Hospital and Medical Center in Fruita and Animas Surgical Hospital in Durango add capacity in other parts of the region. Animas Surgical is a surgical hospital focused on planned procedures, so confirm that it can handle your situation before you travel.

Eastern Plains and the San Luis Valley

Distance is the main challenge in the east and south. Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital in Julesburg sits in the state's northeast corner, and San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa serves a broad, sparsely populated valley. Small rural hospitals often hold federal critical access status, which limits the number of beds and supports emergency care where the next hospital is far away. Patients who need specialty surgery or intensive care are typically transferred to a larger regional center.

Specialty, Behavioral and Long-Term Hospitals Found in Colorado

Not every hospital offers a walk-in emergency room or general medical care. Many Colorado facilities are built around one purpose, and each admits patients differently.

These hospitals usually want a referral, a physician's order, or an assessment before admission. Call the admissions line first. Cedar Springs lists 719-633-4114, West Springs lists 970-263-4918, and Vibra Hospital of Denver lists 303-288-3000.

Getting Care at a Colorado Hospital: When to Go and What to Bring

Call 911 for chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, serious injuries, or trouble breathing. The federal EMTALA law requires hospital emergency departments to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives, regardless of ability to pay. Avoid driving yourself if your symptoms could worsen suddenly. Paramedics can begin treatment on the way and alert the hospital.

For less urgent problems, a primary care office, urgent care clinic or telehealth visit is usually faster and cheaper. Freestanding emergency departments are common around Denver and Colorado Springs, and they can bill at emergency-room rates. If your situation is not an emergency, ask about costs before you are registered.

Bring these items to any hospital visit:

Before a planned admission, call the hospital and your insurer. Ask whether both the facility and the physicians are in your network, and get the answers in writing where you can.

Hospitals across Colorado provide a full range of medical services from emergency and trauma care to specialized treatment programs, with public and nonprofit facilities playing a particularly important role in serving uninsured and rural populations throughout the state.

Hospitals locations are available in 72 cities across Colorado. They are spread across 47 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, which serve as major medical centers with academic teaching hospitals, trauma centers, and specialized treatment facilities for the surrounding region.

Residents of Colorado should know their nearest emergency room location before a medical crisis occurs, and should check their insurance network to understand which hospitals in the state are covered under their plan.

Hospitals by Counties

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Residents of Colorado who face large hospital bills should ask about financial assistance programs before the bill goes to collections. Most hospitals are required to notify patients about charity care options, and applications can often be submitted months after a visit.

Browse Hospitals by county across Colorado to find the nearest location.

Paying for Hospital Care and Fixing Problems in Colorado

Hospital bills in Colorado often arrive in pieces: one from the hospital, others from emergency physicians, radiologists or anesthesiologists. Under the federal No Surprises Act and earlier Colorado law, you generally cannot be balance-billed for out-of-network emergency care, and you should owe only your in-network cost share. Keep every explanation of benefits and compare it with each bill before you pay.

Colorado's Medicaid program, Health First Colorado, is run by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. You can apply through the PEAK website, by phone, or with help from a county human services office. Ask an eligibility worker whether coverage can apply to recent medical bills. Private plans are sold through Connect for Health Colorado, the state marketplace.

Hospitals also have their own financial help. Colorado law requires hospitals to offer discounted care to eligible low-income patients, and nonprofit hospitals must publish financial assistance policies under federal rules. Ask for the financial counselor or patient financial services office, and request an itemized bill before you agree to a payment plan.

If something went wrong, put it in writing. Start with the hospital's patient relations office and keep the date, unit and names of the staff involved. Complaints about hospital operations go to CDPHE, and complaints about a licensed clinician go to DORA.

Colorado Hospital Questions Answered

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment licenses hospitals through its Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division. That division takes complaints about hospital conditions, patient rights, infection control and emergency care failures. Write down the date, department and staff involved, then contact the hospital's patient relations office so it has a chance to respond. If the problem is not resolved, file with CDPHE. Complaints about a specific physician or nurse go to the Department of Regulatory Agencies, which houses the Colorado Medical Board and the State Board of Nursing. Billing disputes usually start with the hospital's financial office or your insurer.

Start by asking the hospital's financial counseling office for its financial assistance application. Colorado law requires hospitals to provide discounted care to eligible low-income patients, and nonprofit hospitals must have written financial assistance policies. You can also check eligibility for Health First Colorado, the state Medicaid program, through the PEAK website or your county human services office. Ask for an itemized bill, confirm that insurance was billed correctly, and request a payment plan before any account goes to collections. Emergency departments must still evaluate and stabilize you regardless of your ability to pay.

In an emergency, call or text 988, or contact Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255, which also runs walk-in crisis centers in many communities. Psychiatric hospitals in our directory include Cedar Springs Behavioral Health System in Colorado Springs (719-633-4114), West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction (970-263-4918), and Eating Recovery Center A Behavioral Hospital in Denver (303-825-8584). Colorado law allows a 72-hour emergency mental health hold in certain situations, usually started by a qualified professional or law enforcement. The Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, 719-546-4000, is a state hospital whose admissions typically come through court and state referral.

Children's Hospital Colorado, at 13123 East 16th Avenue in Aurora (720-777-1234), is the state's major pediatric hospital. Families outside the metro area usually start at the nearest emergency department, which stabilizes a child and arranges a transfer, sometimes by air ambulance, when specialty care is needed. For a suspected poisoning, call the national Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 before heading anywhere. Keep your child's medication list and vaccine record handy, and tell the local team which specialists already know your child so they can coordinate with the Aurora team.

Plan for distance, weather and elevation. Aspen Valley Hospital, St Anthony Summit Medical Center in Breckenridge, St. Vincent Hospital in Leadville, and Middle Park Medical Center in Kremmling, in Grand County, handle emergencies and transfer complex cases to larger centers. Winter storms and pass closures can delay ground and air transport. Visitors should drink water, avoid heavy exertion on arrival, and seek care early for severe headache, shortness of breath or confusion at altitude. On the Western Slope, hospitals in Grand Junction and Fruita in Mesa County serve as regional referral points.

Contact the hospital's health information management or medical records department and ask for its release-of-information form. Under federal HIPAA rules you have a right to inspect and obtain a copy of your records, and the hospital generally must respond within 30 days. It may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying, though electronic copies are often cheaper. You will need photo ID, the dates of service, and a signed authorization if someone else is requesting the records for you. If the hospital has closed or merged, ask the successor hospital or health system where the records are now kept.