Member of the Month: St. Vincent Hospital

Leadville, Colorado is located in Lake County, nestled among the highest peaks in Colorado. Leadville has a rich history spanning more than 150 years, beginning in the 1860s with the discovery of gold. Within the first five years of the gold rush, over $4 million in gold was discovered! By the late 1880s, Leadville had more than 30,000 residents. Also notable in the town’s history was the Tabor Opera House which featured the world-famous Harry Houdini, British wit Oscar Wilde and actress Sara Bernhardt. Leadville has preserved much of its history, declaring areas of the town as National Historic Landmark of Victorian Architecture, historic mining district, railroad and more museums than any town in Colorado. To read about the unique history of the first hospital in Leadville, click here.  

St. Vincent Hospital – a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital - is located at 10,152 feet elevation. As the primary healthcare facility in the area, St. Vincent serves much of the surrounding rural areas of Lake County (county population of 7,564). St. Vincent provides general medical services for a wide variety of acute illnesses, as well as post-operative surgical care, long term care, home health care and emergency services. St. Vincent Hospital prides itself at exceling to meet the diverse healthcare needs of a population that changes with the season. The goal at St. Vincent Hospital is to provide an atmosphere that promotes well-being. To learn about current hospital initiatives under way, click here.

Lake County Health Rankings and Health Outcomes:

·         The ratio of population to primary care physicians is 3,645:1.

·         Mammography screening (% of females receive screening) 76.6%, which is 12% higher than state average.

·         Lake County has 18.2% of families living below poverty level.

·         High school graduation rate of 89% (15% ABOVE state average).

·         High rate of uninsured (under 65) 27.2% (10% above state average).

·         Lower percentage of adults with diabetes (4.4% versus state average of 6%).

·         Obesity rate of 17.7% (under the Healthy People 2020 Target of 30% and under the state average of 19.9%).

·         Population of Lake County receiving water fluoridation is 2.9% (compared to state average of 73% and the Colorado 10 Winnable Battle Target of 75% by 2016).

·         Overall, Lake County’s top positive health indicators are low flu hospitalizations in seniors, low Pertussis cases, low West Nile virus incidence, low infant mortality and low violent crime rate.

St. Vincent Hospital has been a CRHC member for many years. Currently, St. Vincent is a participant in the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Grant, which is a statewide collaborative project focusing on creating and refining quality improvement systems and processes with the goal of meeting electronic health record (EHR) Meaningful Use criteria.

In addition, St. Vincent works closely with CRHC’s Colorado Provider Recruitment Program to recruit and retain dedicated and qualified healthcare professionals who are committed to practicing in rural areas. Currently Colorado Provider Recruitment is recruiting for a Family Physician. For more information about Colorado Provider Recruitment, click here.

The Colorado Rural Health Center is proud to partner with St. Vincent Hospital to support health and well-being for the individuals and families of Lake County. To nominate a CRHC member for recognition as the next member of the month, please complete this form. 


Fun fact about Leadville, CO...A film crew was in town last month filming commercials for Dodge Ram and Jeep Cherokee. Have you seen them yet?