The St. Anthony Hospital campus has attracted another medical business to invest in Lakewood.
DaVita Clinical Research, a company that works with kidney disease and dialysis users, opened up a 36,000-square-foot research center in the Medical Plaza 1 building at St. Anthony.
“This is the second facility like this we have; the other is in Minneapolis,” Amy Young, vice president of clinical services at DaVita, said. “The Minneapolis site has about 40 beds, but we’re going to be doubling the number of people here.”
The new center currently 26 employees, but the company plans to increase the number to 58 within two or three years.
The center conducts clinical trials that include the first phase of the medical testing necessary for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before drugs and medical devices are made available to the public.
“So few people are exposed to just what it takes to get a drug available for use,” Young said.
At the center, scientists will examine the profile of drugs for illness across the board, from heart medication and antibiotics to kidney disease. They will measure how long it takes the drugs to reach the highest and lowest levels in a person’s system, which is important for figuring the correct dosage.
Participants in the trials are all volunteers, and Young said they often come away from the experience with a feeling of gratification.
“We have a lot of gratitude for those who volunteer,” she said. “Often they do, as well, because they chose to give of themselves. We wouldn’t have a lot of the medications we do today without people like them.”
The partnership will also be a boon to the hospital and the surrounding area.
“Our partnership with DaVita Clinical Research adds value to the community and Centura hospitals by providing new opportunities for local patients and collaborative relationships in the medical teams that can ultimately improve the quality of care,” said Jeff Brickman, president and CEO of St. Anthony Hospital and president of Centura Health’s Mountain North Denver Operating Group.
The first study will start sometime this month.
For more information about DaVita, go online to www.davita.com.