Whereas, the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center has a long and distinguished history serving the United States Armed Forces since it was established in 1918 as General Hospital #21 and remained Fitzsimons General Hospital in 1920 and redesignated in 1973 as Fitzsimons Army Medical Center; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons is one of the world's largest military medical installations and has treated hundreds of thousands of military personnel during its long tenure; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons served as the temporary "White House" for President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955 when he was recovering from a heart attack; and
Whereas, the present complex of 282 buildings and 99 other structures sits on 576.5 acres, including the main over 400-bed hospital contained Army installation, serves close to 70,000 military personnel, retirees, and their families in a 40-mile metro area; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons employs over 2,100 military and 2,000 civilian employees, has an annual payroll of over $150 million, and spends over $32.2 million for local contracts; and
Whereas, today Fitzsimons is a medical facility providing a broad range of services and facilities covering most medical specialties; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons serves all branches of the Armed Forces in addition to furnishing specialty referrals for Army and Air Force hospitals in 13 surrounding states; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons receives approximately 67,000 visits each month to the facility's more than 50 clinics, its laboratories process above 4 million tests each year, and its pharmacy fills nearly 1.4 million prescriptions annually; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons mission is multi-faceted and focuses on medical training (utilizing long-standing affiliations with a number of area medical institutions, including the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Children's Hospital, Denver General Hospital, Mercy Family Medical Program/St. Anthony's Hospital Systems, National Jewish Center for Immunology & Respiratory Medicine, Presbyterian/St. Lukes 'Center for Health Sciences Education, Rose Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Denver Veterans' Administration Medical Center), delivery of services to a 13-state region (including assisting the Public Health Service in providing care to the Native American population), military preparedness, and serving as home to another Department of Defense tenants; and
Whereas, Fitzsimons has and continues to deliver cost effective medical care in fulfilling its broadly defined mission.
Now, therefore be it resolved by the Town of Deer Trail:
That every effort be made to ensure that plans to construct a replacement facility for the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center are aggressively pursued.
Be it further resolved:
That every effort be made to see that the design of the new facility at the Center be completed in as expeditious a manner as possible.
Stanley R. Bell, Mayor of Deer Trail
Attest: Tam M. Intermill, Town Clerk