The major players in the Northern Colorado health care industry have big plans for the future, however uncertain they may be of what that future will bring.

While the health care debate marches on at the national level, Supreme Court rulings notwithstanding, the two health care systems at work in Northern Colorado, Banner Health and University of Colorado Health, are expanding, partnering with other organizations and trying to improve standards of care.

Health insurance behemoth Kaiser Permanente is in the process of executing plans that will bring it officially to Northern Colorado by October, and has partnered with Banner Health to provide hospital services to its patients. Banner is also in the process of extending its emergency services, both through the construction of an emergency center expansion and through a partnership with Weld County that made Banner Health the ambulance services provider for the whole county.

University of Colorado Health is a new name to most, but Poudre Valley Health System is not. PVHS entered a joint operating agreement with Denver-based University of Colorado Hospital earlier this year, and together the two entities formed University of Colorado Health.

UCH was at