Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center Recognized as a Rural Leader in Hospital Management by the Colorado Rural Health Center

Nestled on the north side of the Cucharas River on the high plains of Southeastern Colorado, the city of Walsenburg is home to just over 4,600 residents. Settled in the mid-1800’s, with a rich coal mining history the city grew steadily over the next century. Providing care to residents of Walsenburg and surrounding counties, Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center (SPRHC) located just three miles west of Walsenburg, has provided care to the area for over 20 years.  The SPRHC is operated by the Huerfano County Hospital District, which is under contract with the State of Colorado and directed by a five member Board of Directors.  As a level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home, SPRHC includes the Spanish Peaks Hospital, the Colorado State Veterans Home, the Spanish Peaks Family Clinic, Outreach Clinic and Specialty Clinic, in addition to the La Veta Clinic. SPRHC is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to a service area of nearly 12,000 people and growing.     

The hospital is licensed as a Critical Access Hospital with 25 acute care beds and operates a 24-hour level IV trauma emergency care center.   The SPRHC is highly engaged as a member of Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) through various initiatives and programs, including the Improving Communication and Readmission (iCARE) project, which aims to reduce readmissions, particularly for heart failure, pneumonia, and diabetes patients. They also participated in the Improving Performance in Practice (IPIP) initiative to meet measures and objectives that show quality patient treatments and outcomes. Courtnay Ryan, Project Coordinator in CRHC’s Programs Department said she has learned much from working with the staff at SPRHC, “They are highly engaged in quality improvement and proactive in their efforts to provide the highest level of care for their patients.”  In addition, the SPRHC was awarded funds in 2012 through the Colorado Rural Health Care Grant Program for continued renovation of the Spanish Peaks Outreach Clinic, which included the installation of new carpet, windows and heat. 

As a longstanding member of CRHC, it is with great pride that Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center is recognized as the July Member of the Month.  Earlier this year, CRHC began highlighting one member every month in order to spotlight the many achievements of its membership.  CRHC’s Director of Workforce and Outreach, Melissa Bosworth, stated that their members are the true success behind the programs CRHC manages, “We kept hearing inspiring stories about our members and we realized it is the dedicated administrators and front line staff at the hospital and clinics that work tirelessly everyday implementing the projects that makes them successful.”  Also recognized nationally for their high level of satisfaction the SPRHC State Veterans Home was recognized in 2012 with the Excellence in Action Award which recognizes nursing homes that achieve the highest levels of satisfaction excellence.  It is clear that SPRHC continues to blaze the path as a leader in rural health care and CRHC is excited to continue partnering to see that vision happen.  To learn more about SPRHC, visit http://www.sprhc.org/.