Health care provider, Kaiser Permanente has announced that it will open a state-of-the-art Member Service Call Center in the Lowery neighborhood of Denver this fall, hiring about 140 employees for the new facility with potentially hundreds of additional jobs being created over the next two years.

“We are thrilled to hear Kaiser Permanente is bringing new jobs to Denver,” said Mayor Michael Hancock, in a release. “This announcement is great news for our city, especially during these tough economic times when so many folks are out of work. This demonstrates Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to serving and investing in the people of Colorado.”

The Colorado Member Service Call Center assists members with questions about benefits, health care coverage, billing and facility information. This fall, the call center will take on an expanded role as it begins fielding calls from three other Kaiser Permanente regions in other states.

“We are delighted to have been selected by our national office for an expanded call center in Denver,” said Donna Lynne, DrPH, president of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “The new Lowry facility will provide enhanced customer service to Kaiser Permanente members and we’re glad to be supporting the local economy with a healthy dose of new jobs.”

With more than 6,000 staff in the Denver/Boulder service area – and over 2,200 in Denver – Kaiser Permanente is one of Colorado’s largest private employers.

“Kaiser Permanente has provided high-quality, affordable health care to Coloradans for more than 40 years,” said Bernard Tyson, president and chief operating officer of Kaiser Permanente. “As we continue to increase our membership in Colorado, we’re building new medical offices so we can continue to offer top-notch care close to home. Our expansion plans will benefit the communities we serve, including right here in Denver.”

Upon moving into its new facility in November, the Member Service Call Center will become one of three Kaiser Permanente Call Center hubs serving members in California, Maryland and Colorado, each outfitted with new technology, enabling faster response times, more communication choices beyond the telephone such as text and instant messaging, and down the road, 24/7 availability of health plan service representatives.

As Kaiser Permanente continues to add new membership in Colorado, it’s estimated that hundreds of additional jobs could be created in the Denver metro area in the next three to five years. The organization has recently opened new medical offices in Brighton, Castle Rock and Evergreen and has plans for future offices in Broomfield’s Larkridge neighborhood in 2012.

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