Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Lawrence Wood has been at Littleton Adventist Hospital since its doors first opened in 1989, as simply Littleton Hospital.

Wood began his career at Littleton Hospital in internal medicine specializing in diagnosing, managing and treating unusual and serious diseases. In addition to working with patients, he also held various positions in the hospital, such as a member of the credentials committee, vice president and president of the medical staff, and director of patient safety.

In 2006, when Littleton Adventist Hospital's CMO resigned, Wood was asked to take his place. It is a title he's held ever since.

“After practicing medicine for 26 years, it was an extremely difficult decision to take this position. It meant that I would no longer have the time to treat patients,” Wood explains. “But over the years, I became interested in quality and patient safety and when this opportunity arrived, I knew I couldn't pass it up.”

In his role as CMO, Wood provides leadership and oversight for a range of quality assessment/quality improvement and patient safety issues. He also acts as a liaison between the medical staff and the hospital’s administration.

Over the last two decades, Wood has seen Littleton Adventist Hospital evolve tremendously. He says that twenty years ago, Littleton was a community hospital known mostly for its obstetrics department. The facility consisted of a single building with 82 beds.

However, as the Littleton community grew, the hospital has expanded in order to meet the ever-expanding health care needs of its citizens. Since it first opened, Littleton Adventist Hospital has added 160,000 square feet and in 2005, the hospital underwent a $36 million expansion to increase the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and its surgical capabilities. The hospital also added four new technologically advanced operating suites, bringing the total to six.

“It's been interesting to watch the hospital mature and progress with Littleton,” says Wood. “We've transitioned from a small community hospital into a 231-bed facility that handles complex illnesses and offers a diverse range of services.”

Littleton Adventist Hospital's specialties and services include a Level II Trauma Center, a Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab, and a high-tech surgical unit, which performs more than 10,000 procedures each year.

In 2005, Littleton Adventist Hospital became the first hospital in the state of Colorado to be accredited as a Chest Pain Center from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). It is also designated as a nationally certified Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

After two decades, Wood says the best aspect of Littleton Adventist Hospital is its staff. “It is amazing to work with individuals who are so incredibly dedicated to the care of their patients.”