Dear Friends and Neighbors,
My enthusiasm for the extraordinary healthcare organization this community has built at Aspen Valley Health (AVH) continues to grow as I see the expertise, compassion and dedication our teams bring to their work every day. I also recognize that we have an important story to tell: the breadth and depth of outstanding care available through AVH, and our commitment to making that care even better and easier to access.
Many residents know us through a particular experience: the birth of a child, an unexpected visit to our Emergency Department, a successful surgery or a trusted relationship with a primary care physician. Each experience represents one part of a much larger Network of Care that serves our community through every stage of life.
Across AVH, our teams provide primary and preventive care, emergency and trauma services, surgical and specialty care, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. They help patients recover through rehabilitation and sports medicine with some of the nation’s best orthopedic team, support families through pregnancy and childbirth with highly skilled and experienced physicians and providers and address many other healthcare needs ranging from behavioral health and nutrition to the management of chronic illness. Behind every service are talented professionals who understand how much it matters to receive excellent care close to home.
We continuously strive to build upon these strengths with a culture of excellence that demands we seek to improve, even when we already perform well. That means constantly evaluating our clinical outcomes, learning from our patients, supporting the development of our staff and strengthening coordination among our care teams. As we consider new capabilities and partnerships, we will focus on those that meaningfully improve the care available to our community.
Our status as an independent rural health system allows us to move quickly, invest thoughtfully, and respond directly to our community’s needs. We believe AVH can help lead the future of rural healthcare, bringing sophisticated capabilities to our patients while preserving the personal relationships that make care here special. Our da Vinci robotic surgical system is one example. It gives our surgeons advanced tools and expands the capabilities available, close to home. Behind that technology are skilled surgeons, nurses and surgical teams whose expertise and judgment remain central to every patient’s care and demonstrates our commitment to delivering outstanding surgical services within our community.
Equally important is ensuring that residents can reach that care conveniently. Our locations in Aspen, downtown Aspen, Snowmass Village and Basalt bring services closer to where people live and work. Primary care in Aspen and the Midvalley, walk-in care in Basalt and Snowmass and rehabilitation services across these communities offer multiple ways to connect with AVH. Imaging and laboratory services in the Midvalley also allow residents to receive important diagnostic care, conveniently.
We know, however, that access involves much more than the location of a building. It means knowing whom to call, finding an appointment, understanding the next step and moving smoothly between primary care, specialists, diagnostic testing and follow-up. Our focus is on making that entire experience easier. We want patients and families to feel that they have a team helping them navigate their care, with clear communication and a shared understanding of their needs.
AVH recently achieved Epic Gold Stars Level 10, recognition of the advanced way we configure and use our electronic health record system. This achievement reflects considerable work by our technology and clinical teams to make information more accessible and workflows more efficient, giving caregivers more opportunity to focus on their patients. For a community like ours, those connections extend well beyond AVH. Many residents receive care in more than one location, and many visitors have physicians elsewhere. Epic Care Everywhere enables secure sharing of health information among participating healthcare organizations, while MyChart gives patients direct access to their records. These capabilities help care teams make informed decisions here in the valley and when patients return home. MyChart also makes it easier to stay involved in your care, with convenient access to test results, appointments and communication tools. We want everyone to feel comfortable using it. If you need assistance, our dedicated support team can help at mychart@aspenvalleyhealth.org or 970-544-1556.
In the months ahead, I look forward to introducing you more fully to the people and services that make AVH exceptional. We will share how our teams care for you today, how we are strengthening those services and where you can find them. Your experiences and perspectives will help guide this work. Please continue to tell us what we do well and where we can make your care easier.
Thank you for the trust you place in Aspen Valley Health. It is a privilege to serve this community and to help shape its healthcare future together.
Warm regards,
Richard Becker, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Aspen Valley Health