During its regular meeting on Oct. 28 at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, the Salida Hospital District Board of Directors heard a focus presentation from Aspen Valley Health’s CEO, Dave Ressler, and Chief Information Officer, Michelle Gelroth.
Ressler opened by clarifying that he and Gelroth were not there to promote or sell the Epic Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, but rather to explore a potential partnership with HRRMC. The goal, he explained, is for both organizations to remain independent while benefiting from each other’s expertise.
If HRRMC were to join the AVH Epic EHR network, the integration would be more cost-effective than implementing the system independently. Gelroth added that AVH has developed an EHR platform optimized for critical access hospitals—a category that includes both AVH and HRRMC.
“This partnership will allow us to stay independent through interdependence,” Ressler said. “We have a lot in common and much to share.”
He went on to explain that when AVH sought to adopt an electronic health records system in 2015, the organization initially invested considerable time developing a partnership with UCHealth. However, before implementation, AVH decided to part ways with UCHealth and instead formed a new relationship with Epic. Ressler noted that while the decision to move away from UCHealth was difficult, Gelroth worked diligently to build a strong, trust-based partnership with Epic.
“Epic has never lost a customer, which is quite remarkable,” Ressler said. “They’ve achieved that by carefully selecting their partners. They don’t sell to just anyone—they form lasting partnerships.” He emphasized that AVH’s goal is to establish a meaningful, high-level collaboration with HRRMC that could help both hospitals reduce overhead and overall operational costs.
Ressler and Gelroth also discussed the degree of customization HRRMC could achieve within the Epic system, noting that full implementation would take about 12 months. Looking ahead, they suggested that shared services—such as quality or human resources departments—could further help lower costs for both organizations.
Board Chair Dean Edwards then asked whether the board wanted to direct HRRMC President John Tucker to outline an ideal timeline for implementation if the partnership with AVH’s Epic system moved forward. Board member Bill Alderton recommended that the matter be discussed in executive session since it involved negotiations, and the board agreed. The topic was not discussed further in the general session.
The board then received a financial report indicating that operating income for the month fell $250,000 below budget expectations, largely due to factors related to the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE) program.
Aysha Douglas, the hospital’s Vice President of Finance, explained, “The CHASE program was a bit unusual this month. We had some negative fees—essentially payments made to us—as part of the reconciliation process, which resulted in a reduction in supplemental payments.”
During the committee reports, board member Stacy Osborne shared positive news regarding legislation affecting the 340B drug pricing program. She noted that last year, the hospital saved approximately $700,000 in pharmaceutical costs through the program. Since the new Senate bill took effect in August, those savings have increased to about $1.2 million.
In the facilities report, board member Bill Alderton stated that it’s becoming apparent the hospital will need to temporarily close its main entrance, directing all visitors through the emergency room instead. The closure is expected to last roughly six months.
Board member Dan Wardrop asked about the construction schedule for the main lobby registration area and planned expansion projects, noting he had expected an update at this meeting.
HRRMC President John Tucker responded that the timeline was expected by Oct. 23 but had not yet been received.
Wardrop expressed frustration, saying, “They can’t even get us an estimate on time, let alone complete the construction project on time. I’m not impressed.”
The board also received a brief update from the HRRMC Foundation, presented by Dan Wardrop. He reported that the Women’s Wellness Center recently held a fundraiser at The Velveteen, raising $1,900 to support mammogram services for individuals under the age of 40.
