Toward Greater Access, Affordability and Excellence | A Message from CEO Dave Ressler

Election season is in full swing as we look toward election day on November 4, just a month away. As fascinating as it is to watch the platforms, slogans and too much vitriol that surround us like a thick fog, I look for the healthcare messages and themes, to address a broken national system. Of course I am biased, but I believe that access to quality healthcare should be a right and not a privilege in every community and for every person.

The question is, how to define “access to quality healthcare?” Starting with access, to me, it means that every community member should be able to afford to go to the doctor, receive appropriate tests and medications, and be hospitalized and receive treatment when necessary. In our country, healthcare is not affordable without insurance coverage, and even when insured, deductibles and co-insurance have been rising as insurers try to pass the costs along to the insured members. I could spend a whole page discussing what Aspen Valley Hospital and our employer and hospital partners are doing through the Valley Health Alliance to lower premiums with our partner Rocky Mountain Health Plans on the individual exchange, and to encourage small employers to contribute to their premiums in lieu of offering an employer sponsored health plan. VHA’s Taylor McBride, a certified Connect for Health navigator, can assist community members, some of whom may be eligible for subsidies, with selecting the plan that is right for them. Our goal is to maintain the health of our population, and to lower the total cost of healthcare, so that coverage is more affordable, and healthcare is more accessible.

Healthcare quality is multi-factorial. It can be based on low complication rates and superior outcomes, such as our surgical programs with industry-leading low infection rates and demonstrably excellent results for a range of surgeries. Or, we can define quality by our patients’ reported experiences, in which case we rank among the best hospitals and clinics in the country, with over 80% of our patients awarding us an overall “perfect score” (5 out of 5). Over time, we have earned an outstanding reputation among our community members, some who recently provided survey feedback about what they consider to be our greatest strengths. The talent of our physicians and providers and our high-tech equipment and facilities (63% and 58% rated “very good or excellent,” respectively), stand out as highlights. It’s important to note, we are good at what we do, because we are careful to only provide the services we can assure we will provide with high quality.

Whatever the outcome of the national elections, and the healthcare reform efforts that should be promoted, Aspen Valley Hospital will continue to provide quality healthcare to our community, and strive for greater access for all, with your continued support. It is important work, and it is our commitment.

Dave