September 1, 2021

How Far We’ve Come: Colorado Springs’ Booming Healthcare Industry

Known as one of the healthiest states, Colorado is ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report Best States for health care accrediting access to preventive medical and dental treatment for children and adults. Colorado Springs has a flourishing healthcare industry, offering two of the state’s best hospitals, a state-of-the-art athletic training and sports medicine facility, and support from programs and facilities at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). The MedTech industry thrives in conjunction with Colorado Springs’ healthcare environment – Philips, Siemens, and DePuy Synthes, as well as 25-plus bioscience firms, are reinventing care. The combination of the two industries employs over 46,000 residents in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs’ advanced manufacturing industry also plays a role by providing the MedTech ecosystem with the necessary mechanisms and tools to thrive. It is fueled by low-cost and dependable utilities, as well as plenty of areas to expand, and a skilled workforce. The technical and assembly knowledge required by area companies is provided by almost 12,000 engineers, experts, technicians, and laborers.

The Hybl Center

The brand new Hybl Center, which opened in 2020, offers various cutting-edge treatment and recovery services for world-class athletes, including Olympic track and field star Shadrack Kipchirchir, who has been training in Colorado Springs since 2015. The services consist of Medical and Sports Performance services such as Performance Testing & Assessment, Sports Performance Training, and Group Fitness.

Additionally, 42,000-square feet of the facility is devoted to teaching and research activities, including lecture halls, cadaver and anatomy labs, classrooms, conference rooms, and offices. The center recently opened a $64 million state-of-the-art facility with an altitude chamber, environmental chamber, and anti-gravity treadmills. The environmental chamber workout space is capable of varying conditions to watch athlete performance, while the altitude chamber workout space is capable of depletion or addition of oxygen to stimulate elevation change.

The Hybl Center offers a curriculum‐based internship program, emphasizing hands‐on learning while addressing practical considerations to human performance. This learning experience is for students pursuing a degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science/Physiology, or a related field.

Advancements at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs

With the introduction of the Hybl Center, UCCS was able to expand its exercise science program to 1,000 students and the human anatomy and physiology program to 500 students. Other programs include sports nutrition and health promotion.

Due to Colorado Springs’ strong foundation in healthcare, the UCCS nursing program offers a hands-on curriculum that meets the challenges of a rapidly changing healthcare landscape through an innovative program that includes education, practice, research, and service.

Thriving Companies in Colorado Springs

In medical settings, including operating rooms, patient rooms, at home, or on the road, touchscreen user interfaces are becoming more widespread. Software company Altia offers strong features and performance, allowing any given team to deliver easy design and fail-safe access to key functionality. This Colorado Springs-based company has its software installed in over 100 million medical devices!

dpiX is considered a world leader in Digital X-Ray Optical Sensors, offering high-quality images and lower doses of radiation to patients. The dpiX sensors in flat detectors may be used for better cardiovascular care, early identification and treatment of oncological patients, and quick 3D reconstruction of a patient’s mouth or jaw in a dentist’s or oral surgeon’s office. Based in Colorado Springs, the company has invested over $250 million in a trusted and IP-secure semiconductor production facility, the largest A-Si semiconductor cleanroom facility outside of Asia.

In addition to state-wide Children’s Hospital Colorado ranked as one of the top pediatric hospitals in nation, Centura recently broke ground on their third hospital in Colorado Springs, specializing in orthopedic and spine care and featuring the latest medical technology. This new hospital is part of unprecedented growth among Centura, UCHealth, and Kaiser Permanente in Colorado Springs to meet growing populations and demand.