For Immediate Release
Contact:
Karen Onderdonk
St. Vincent General Hospital District
Director of Outreach and Development
719-486-7135 [email protected]
COMMITMENT TO HEALTH CARE REMAINS WHILE NEW HOSPITAL PLACED ON HOLD
Turnaround Strategies Continue at St. Vincent Hospital
LEADVILLE, COLO. (May 19, 2017) - St. Vincent General Hospital District (SVGHD) Board of Directors
announced on Friday, May 19 that the U.S.D.A. (United States Department of Agriculture) Rural Development
funding approval for the new hospital project has been paused. At this time, the U.S.D.A. is not rejecting or
denying St. Vincent Hospital’s application or canceling obligation of funds.
“This news, though disappointing, bolsters our collective commitment to Leadville and Lake County health
care” stated Paul Chodkowski, President and CEO of St. Anthony Summit Medical Center and CEO of St.
Vincent Hospital. “The employees of St. Vincent Hospital deliver compassionate care every day to the residents
of Lake County and surrounding communities and we recognize that the services provided here are vital in
supporting the day-to-day needs of residents and visitors. We are committed to the ongoing delivery of the
hospital’s mission and remain focused on strategies to ensure that health services remain in Leadville.”
St. Vincent Hospital will continue serving Lake County with essential medical care for the rural population of
Lake County while addressing the hospital’s slower than anticipated financial turnaround, which led to the
U.S.D.A.’s decision to pause. The emergency department, ambulance service, primary care clinic, laboratory,
radiology, and physical therapy are open to serve the public.
The hospital board, Centura Health, and hospital administration have a strong commitment to rural health care
and this focus remains steadfast. The organizations are continuing strategic planning that was in progress before
this announcement. Sustaining the current hospital building is part of this planning focus.
“The hospital board’s number one priority is this community and their health care. We have experienced
adversity in the past and overcame it. Our commitment is to our friends and neighbors. Our focus on solutions
for our community’s health is unchanged,” stated Byron Copley, St. Vincent General Hospital District Board
Chairman.
Frequent and ongoing communications will be made widely available to the community and stakeholders.
Questions or concerns can be addressed to [email protected] or the community relations office at St. Vincent
Hospital at 719-486-7135.
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The Centura partnership:
A part of the Centura Health strategy includes partnering with Affiliate Hospitals to identify sustainable
solutions to keep services as close to home as possible. St. Vincent Hospital became a Centura Health Affiliate
Hospital in 2013. In August 2016, St. Vincent Hospital and Centura Health expanded their partnership to focus
on developing viable strategies to benefit clinical quality, patient care, and health outcomes. The partnership
with Centura Health has resulted to date in increased staffing and operations efficiencies, additional medical
service offerings and quality improvement at St. Vincent Hospital.
About St. Vincent Hospital
Nestled at 10,152 feet of elevation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, St. Vincent General Hospital is known
as the highest hospital in North America’s highest city of Leadville, Colo. Founded by the Sisters of Charity in
1879 to care for a growing population of miners, St. Vincent provides medical service to Lake County residents
and visitors. St. Vincent is a critical access hospital that provides 24/7 emergency medicine, ambulance,
primary care, specialty clinics, physical therapy, radiology and laboratory. St. Vincent Hospital is managed by
Centura Health. Learn more about St. Vincent Hospital at www.leadvillehospital.org.
About Centura Health
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with
more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 17 hospitals,
two senior living communities, health neighborhoods, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice
services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, we are making the region’s best health care accessible and affordable
in every community we serve. We believe you can inspire the people you care about to live healthier lives by
encouraging them to do the little things that can make a big difference. We’re Centura Health, and we’re here
for your health. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit the
Centura Health website at www.centurahealth.org.