National Jewish Medical and Research Center announced an ambitious plan Thursday to hire more doctors and scientists and boost its research funds by more than $20 million a year.

Under CEO Michael Salem, National Jewish hopes that by expanding its research and treatment programs it can serve more patients and continue to bolster its national reputation as a pre-eminent hospital.

The long-term strategy, recently approved by the hospital's board, involves a sweeping new approach: encouraging researchers and doctors to exchange information and work together to devise treatment plans.

Salem, in a statement, said the hospital hopes to provide "proactive and personalized" care for patients so it can "detect disease and intervene early to keep people healthy before illness interrupts their lives."

The hospital's 10-year plan calls for boosting its faculty ranks by 40 percent, up from 155. National Jewish has already added more than three dozen faculty members since Salem took the helm about a year ago, according to spokesman William Allstetter.

By recruiting researchers the hospital expects to increase its research funds to about $60 million a year by 2012.

In 2006 it drew $38 million in research money.

Unlike other academic hospitals that have relocated to Aurora's Fitzsimons in recent years, National Jewish decided to stay in Denver at the corner of East Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

Ranked as the nation's top respiratory hospital for nine years in a row, it specializes in such fields as asthma, emphysema, cardiology, lung cancer, immunologic diseases and allergies.

National Jewish also hopes to fund its growth through other means: increased clinical revenue, fundraising and new commercial ventures.

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068