BIO

Chief Operating Officer (COO) and General Counsel Elaine Gerson began her career at Aspen Valley Hospital in 2000 as a staff nurse in the cardiology department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Over the years she has held a wide variety of positions and gained experience overseeing various aspects of the Hospital’s operations, which prepared her for her promotion to COO in 2021. After her initial two-year role as a nurse, Elaine joined the Aspen Valley Hospital District Board of Directors, and in 2004 was named the Hospital’s general counsel, responsible for all legal matters for the Hospital and the Aspen Hospital District. As COO, she oversees all clinical departments at the Hospital, working with 18 directors who manage 400 staff members. Elaine has a Bachelor of Science in nursing, an MBA in healthcare administration and management, and a law degree focused on regulatory compliance in healthcare. Prior to joining the Hospital, she worked as a nurse at a level I trauma center and in several hospitals for the U.S. Air Force. She was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Storm in 1990, and helped build a 1,000-bed hospital and train staff in emergency resuscitation procedures. Elaine decided on a career in healthcare as a child, after her father required emergency surgery and the family struggled with his care because her mother was not fluent in English. She volunteers with Aspen Community Theatre and the Aspen School District’s annual college fair. She also developed a mock trial program for fifth graders at Aspen Middle School, giving them practice in reading critically, examining facts, and debating in public. Elaine feels lucky to have raised two daughters in the valley, enjoying all the area has offered them in the way of education and variety of outdoor activities.