Annual Reports

Aspen Valley Hospital’s mission is to deliver extraordinary healthcare in an environment of excellence, compassion and trust. Patient-centered care. Accountability. Respect. Teamwork. Integrity. Aspen Valley Hospital is your community hospital.

AVH is not just a community hospital, we are becoming a community-owned healthcare delivery system. As such, we are working hard to assure that our community members have the ability to make healthcare choices based on all of the information you need, including cost and quality. By providing full transparency for all of our services, including our lower-cost alternatives for imaging and surgical services in the Midvalley, and maintaining competitive pricing with our neighbors, our intent is to support our community members’ choices to receive care close to home, where it is convenient and accessible.

This past year, we have witnessed intense political discord and national frustration surrounding legislator repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. It is on this note of change that the Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) Board of Directors created a mandate for the organization to prepare and position itself as part of the solution. This mandate comes in two important parts — that we must find ways to increase efficiencies and reduce operating costs, while at the same time build a community-wide, integrated delivery system that can manage total cost and quality of healthcare.

Despite the leadership changes, the hospital’s commitment to its mission is as strong as ever. The mission — to deliver extraordinary healthcare in an environment of excellence, compassion, and trust — guides all decisions and actions and culminates with a strategic plan which is updated annually by the board, executive team, foundation board, and physician leaders. We were honored to receive an abundance of awards for patient satisfaction and clinical quality this past year. While the awards are important, the real story is our incredibly talented, committed staff and all they do to ensure a quality experience for every patient.…

This past year we earned awards for patient satisfaction and financial stability, maintained our Baa2 bond rating, achieved “Best Performer, Overall Rating” for Small Hospitals, and were awarded a 5-star rating (the highest possible) by Medicare. The need to further improve our facility to accommodate outpatient services continues to grow. We are evaluating electronic health record systems to determine the best technology for all aspects of our business. We installed a “bedside medication verification” system that uses barcode technology to confirm patient and drug information before a medication is given, thus reducing the risk for medical errors and possible harm.

What makes AVH extraordinary? We have state-of-the-art technology and a beautiful new facility (with more to come), but it truly is the staff that sets AVH apart. The staff is dedicated to exceeding patients’ needs at every level. Sometimes it’s just a brief interaction in the hallway or outpatient department. Sometimes it’s a surgery that requires extensive explanation and compassion, not to mention the expertise to perform the surgery and help with recovery. Sometimes it’s the happiest of events — the delivery of a baby, but even then there is the need for medical expertise and assistance.

Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) is one of Aspen’s largest employers and a significant economic driver for the community. We employ a large number of residents, and we invest millions of dollars in capital projects and community programs. But at the end of the day, what really matters most are the patients and their families who trust their lives to us. At AVH, we have never lost sight of this objective. In fact, our mission — to deliver extraordinary healthcare in an environment of excellence, compassion, and trust — reflects our commitment to our patients and the community at large.

As our country continues to debate the issues, here in Aspen our goal is to reduce the cost of healthcare while improving quality and ensuring a healthy community and sustainable delivery system. The journey ahead will be long and difficult, but it is necessary for the good of our community. We anticipate moving from a volume-based culture to a value-based culture. That means as healthcare providers we have to change our way of thinking — incentives and compensation will be based less on volumes and fees and more on population health and quality.

While AVH accomplished a lot this past year — a very successful Joint Commission survey, a positive mill levy election, approvals for Phase II of the Master Facilities Plan, financial stability, the issuance of general obligation bonds, three national awards for service excellence, and the commencement of our long-awaited expansion — it was this one day in March that truly represents what AVH is all about, what we are here to do, and what we strive to be.

This past year, we were able to maintain our financial health through diligent cost containment, improve upon our services through partnerships with other specialty organizations, further meet the needs of the community through our after-hours clinic, and win several national awards for service excellence. In addition, a much-needed Master Facilities Plan, which will enable our hospital to provide care in a contemporary environment, received conceptual approval from the Aspen City Council last summer. The Master Facilities Plan will be funded by a combination of revenue bonds, cash reserves, philanthropy, and additional property tax support.

Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) is a reflection of this beautiful community. It is filled with intelligent, hard-working, and caring employees, physicians, and volunteers. There is a special, reciprocal relationship between staff and patients. All of us who work here reap the rewards of having helped someone in a time of need, but it is the appreciation we receive in return that can turn a good day into a great one. It is gratifying to acknowledge in this annual report the many people who contribute to AVH’s success.

Aspen Valley Hospital’s (AVH) accomplishments this past year were many and varied. We received full accreditation from The Joint Commission (TJC) following an unannounced, intensive two-day survey. We diligently managed both our expense and revenue cycle, thus exceeding our financial goals. The Aspen Birth Center expansion was completed on time and within budget, and our conceptual Master Facilities Plan was finalized and submitted to the City of Aspen for review. However, our most remarkable accomplishments relate to the quality of care AVH provides.

What a privilege it is to be associated with such a fine organization: Aspen Valley Hospital. Each and every member of our staff — physicians, employees, volunteers — and the Aspen Valley Medical Foundation have contributed to the success of AVH on many fronts, but more importantly, to a quality of care that we are proud and excited to offer to our community.