Walk into the main lobby at 1375 East 19th Avenue in Denver and you’ll see it. It’s huge. The glass-heavy, modern architecture of the "new" St. Joseph Hospital—which isn’t even that new anymore, having opened in late 2014—dominates the skyline of the Uptown neighborhood. But if you talk to locals who have lived in Colorado for more than a decade, they still call it Exempla St. Joseph Hospital. Names stick. Especially when those names are tied to where your kids were born or where your grandfather had heart surgery.
Honestly, the "Exempla" part of the name is basically a ghost now. It was a joint venture between the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and Community Hospital Shares. It’s history. Today, the hospital is firmly under the wing of Intermountain Health, following the massive merger with SCL Health in 2022. But the DNA of the place hasn't changed as much as the logos on the billing statements. It remains the oldest private hospital in Denver, founded way back in 1873 by sisters who probably wouldn’t recognize the robotic surgery suites today, though they’d definitely recognize the mission.
Why People Drive Past Other ERs to Get Here
It's about the "Baby Hospital" reputation. That’s the big one. For generations, if you were pregnant in Denver, you went to St. Joe’s. They deliver more babies than just about anyone else in the state. We’re talking over 4,000 births a year. But it’s not just a volume game; they handle the scary stuff too. Their Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is where you end up when things don't go according to the birth plan.
Healthcare isn't just about nice labor suites, though. You've gotta look at the clinical outcomes.
St. Joseph has consistently snagged the Healthgrades "America’s 50 Best Hospitals" award. That's not just a participation trophy. It’s based on clinical mortality and complication rates. If you’re heading in for a valve replacement or a joint repair, those stats actually matter. The hospital has a weirdly strong niche in respiratory care too, thanks to its decades-long partnership with National Jewish Health. If your lungs are failing, this is arguably the best patch of dirt in the Rocky Mountain region to be standing on. They’ve integrated the National Jewish specialists directly into the hospital's respiratory and cardiac wings. It’s a "hospital within a hospital" vibe that actually works.
The Architecture of Healing (and Why it Kinda Matters)
Most hospitals feel like windowless bunkers. The old Exempla St. Joseph Hospital buildings certainly did. They were cramped, confusing, and smelled like floor wax and anxiety. When they built the $623 million replacement facility, they changed the philosophy.
💡 You might also like: Is Tap Water Okay to Drink? The Messy Truth About Your Kitchen Faucet
Every single patient room is private. Every one. They also have massive windows.
It sounds like a luxury perk, but there’s real science behind it. Natural light reduces "hospital delirium," especially in older patients. It helps with circadian rhythms. The hallways are designed with "off-stage" areas so you don’t see dirty laundry carts zooming past your door while you’re trying to recover from a C-section. It’s quieter.
Navigating the Uptown Campus
If you're going there, parking is the first hurdle. Use the garages. Don't try to find street parking in Uptown unless you enjoy frustration. The main entrance is on 19th, but the Emergency Department has its own distinct flow.
The campus is a bit of a maze because it sits right next to Kaiser Permanente’s Franklin offices. Because St. Joseph is the primary hospital for Kaiser members in Denver, the two buildings are literally connected by an underground tunnel. If you see people in scrubs sprinting through a basement, that’s probably why.
The Intermountain Shift: What Changed?
When SCL Health merged into Intermountain Health, people worried. Intermountain is a Utah-based giant. People feared the "local" feel of Exempla St. Joseph Hospital would evaporate into a corporate cloud.
📖 Related: The Stanford Prison Experiment Unlocking the Truth: What Most People Get Wrong
The reality? Mostly backend stuff.
The doctors are largely the same. The nursing staff—many of whom have been there for twenty-plus years—didn't vanish. What did change is the technology integration. Intermountain is obsessed with data. They use standardized "care pathways." Basically, it means if you come in with heart failure, there is a very specific, evidence-based script that every clinician follows to ensure you don't end up back in the ER two weeks later. It's less "cowboy medicine" and more "systems engineering." Some doctors hate the boxes they have to check, but the data suggests patients stay alive longer when the boxes get checked.
Realities of the Cost and Care
Let’s be real: it’s an expensive place. It’s a top-tier tertiary referral center. If you have a choice and it's a minor issue, an urgent care is cheaper. But for complex surgeries? You’re paying for the infrastructure.
One thing people get wrong: they think because it has Catholic roots (Sisters of Charity), the care is restricted. While they do follow certain Ethical and Religious Directives, it’s a modern, inclusive facility. They have a massive diversity of staff and patients. You don’t have to be religious to get treated there, and they don't push it on you. They do, however, have a 24/7 chaplaincy service that is actually pretty incredible at handling grief support, regardless of your faith.
The Emergency Room Wait
It’s an urban ER. It gets slammed. On a Friday night in Denver, you’re going to wait unless you’re actively dying. However, their triage system is pretty efficient. They’ve pioneered a "vertical track" system for less severe cases—think broken wrists or stitches—where you’re treated in a chair rather than taking up a trauma bed. It keeps the flow moving. If you’re just sick, use their virtual visit options or the urgent care centers nearby on 20th. Save the main ER for the real stuff.
👉 See also: In the Veins of the Drowning: The Dark Reality of Saltwater vs Freshwater
What Most People Miss About the History
The "Exempla" era was actually a bit of a corporate soap opera. It was a 1990s-era partnership that eventually dissolved because the two parent organizations had different visions. St. Joseph eventually returned to being fully part of the SCL Health system before the Intermountain deal.
Why does this matter? Because it shows resilience. Through all the name changes and board room shifts, the core mission of serving the poor and vulnerable in Denver has stayed surprisingly intact. They still provide a massive amount of charity care—tens of millions of dollars worth—to the surrounding community. In a world of predatory medical billing, they’re generally considered one of the "fairer" players in the Denver market, though you still need to watch your EOBs (Explanation of Benefits) like a hawk.
How to Handle a Visit to St. Joseph
If you’re scheduled for a procedure at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital (or just St. Joe’s as we call it now), do these three things:
- Check your portal. Everything is on MyChart now. If you aren't on the app, you're going to be filling out paper forms for an hour. Do it at home.
- Use the Valet. Honestly. The garages can be a hike, especially if you're struggling with mobility. The valet at the main entrance is often worth the few extra bucks for the lack of stress.
- Ask for a Patient Advocate. If something feels off with your care or your bill, ask for the advocate. They have a robust team specifically designed to mediate between patients and the giant hospital machine.
Actionable Steps for Patients
Don't just show up. If you are planning a surgery or a birth here, take the tour. They still offer them, and seeing the layout of the Labor and Delivery floor or the Pre-Op area reduces heart rates on the actual day of the event.
Confirm your insurance explicitly with the hospital and your provider. Because many doctors at St. Joseph are part of private groups or National Jewish Health, they might be in-network while the hospital is out-of-network, or vice-versa. It's the "surprise billing" trap of modern medicine. Call the billing office at (303) 812-2000 and give them your specific procedure codes.
Lastly, if you're a Kaiser member, this is your flagship. Lean into it. The coordination between the Kaiser specialists and the St. Joseph hospitalists is tighter than almost any other partnership in the country. It’s the closest thing Colorado has to a truly integrated health system.
The name on the sign might change again in another twenty years. But the big glass building on 19th isn't going anywhere. It’s the anchor of Denver’s healthcare scene, a place where history and high-tech medicine are constantly bumping into each other in the hallways. Whether you call it Exempla, SCL, or Intermountain, just know that for heart, lungs, and babies, you’re in the right spot.