July 15, 2025
A new chapter of Kaiser Permanente’s hospital care is born
Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff are now caring for patients at several recently added metro Denver CommonSpirit Health and HCA HealthONE hospitals.
Kaiser Permanente members, Emily and Joel, welcomed their “Rose Baby,” Laine, on July 8.
Around 12:27 p.m. on July 7, 2025, baby Jozi was born. She weighed 7 pounds, 2.5 ounces, and measured 18.5 inches long.
Like all babies, Jozi quickly marked a lot of firsts: first look at her parents, first check-in with a nurse, first big cry. But Jozi was also a big first for Kaiser Permanente.
She was the first baby Kaiser Permanente physicians delivered at HCA HealthONE Rose. It was the first day Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff began caring for labor and delivery patients at what’s known as Denver’s “baby hospital.”
“We have spent months in preparation and collaboration with the HCA HealthONE Rose team for this exciting day,” said Kelsey Webster, MD, obstetrician and associate medical director. “I have been looking forward to the opportunity to deliver babies at Rose — a hospital known for its obstetrical excellence in the community. Today did not disappoint! The incredible partnership today with the Rose Babies team made the delivery joyful and successful.”
Kaiser Permanente teams have been looking forward to the “Rose Babies” for months. But little bundles of joy were only part of a much bigger picture.
Teamwork makes the dream work
In fall 2024, Kaiser Permanente announced expanded relationships with HCA HealthONE and CommonSpirit Health.
In the months since, Kaiser Permanente leaders, physicians, and staff kicked off a flurry of work.
Alongside hospital leaders and teams, Kaiser Permanente staff worked together on big tasks, like ensuring equipment was ready for each new service from cardiology to obstetrics. They also worked together on smaller, yet important, items like training and orientation so incoming team members felt ready to care for patients.
The first teams started caring for members at CommonSpirit’s St. Anthony and St. Anthony North hospitals in January.
Jim MacDougall, MD, Orthopedic Surgery, and Henry Frazier, MD, Anesthesiology
"The staff at St. Anthony North Hospital has been wonderful. My patients have had a great experience,” said Jim MacDougall, MD, Orthopedic Surgery. “The operating rooms are clearly well-oiled machines. I look forward to continuing this relationship long into the future.”
Kaiser Permanente teams expanded their work to HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke’s and then HCA HealthONE Rose. More teams are expanding services through 2025.
“We are incredibly proud of our teams and all they’ve accomplished so quickly,” said Jeff Krawcek, MD, president and executive medical director of Kaiser Permanente in Colorado. “This has been a monumental task, and our physicians and staff have risen to the occasion.”
“We also want to thank CommonSpirit Health and HCA HealthONE. They have welcomed our teams with open arms,” shared Krawcek.
The new hospital relationships are key to Kaiser Permanente’s plans, said Mike Ramseier, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in Colorado.
“Our members are looking for greater choice, convenience, and access to high-quality care in metro Denver — and these expanded relationships provide even more of what they’ve come to expect from Kaiser Permanente,” said Ramseier.
New places, same faces
Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff have cared for mothers and babies at HCA HealthONE SkyRidge for more than 12 years. The delivery of Rose Babies builds on that long relationship with even more quality options.
HCA HealthONE Rose consistently ranks as one of the top hospitals in the nation for maternity care and quality excellence.
“Expectant mothers are drawn to HCA HealthONE Rose because of the great service, outstanding communication, and personalized care we provide,” said Casey Guber, president and CEO of HCA HealthONE Rose. “Our exceptional physicians, nurses, and entire Rose Women’s staff are the heart of that care — delivering excellence every day to our community. That same level of excellence will now be extended to Kaiser Permanente patients and physicians.”
To meet the care needs of Kaiser Permanente mothers and babies, HCA HealthONE Rose expanded its labor and delivery, postpartum, and neonatal intensive care units. The expansion increased room capacity by 40%, in addition to creating 6 nurse stations and a second well-baby nursery.
They are off to a good start.
