Aspen Valley Hospital plans to have an “Epic” year

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Deborah Breen, President & CEO Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation

2016 is going to be an “Epic” year for Aspen Valley Hospital! Not only will we celebrate the hospital’s 125th anniversary, but we will also go live with a new electronic health record called Epic, complete the third phase of our master facilities plan, and engage in a full-court press to reach our $60 million capital campaign goal by year end.

Of course, there are always a few surprises along the way. Dan Bonk, our CEO for the past two years, has decided to return to his family in Wisconsin. While turnover at the top is always challenging for an organization, what is important to remember is that the organization’s success is never dependent upon just one person. From a talented executive team, to a committed board, to a top-flight medical staff, to a devoted team of employees, many people contribute to ensuring that progress continues. In fact, with such a strong executive team in place, the Board announced yesterday that long-time CFO, Terry Collins, has been appointed to serve as the interim CEO for the hospital. Board Chairman, Dr. Barry Mink, expects a seamless transition as Terry has been closely involved with the implementation of multiple strategic initiatives since taking the position of Chief Financial Officer in 2004. He has also been responsible for many organizational functions and departments.

With one of the most exciting years in front of us, AVH has updated its strategic goals which all revolve around one key element of our operations: the patient. The six major strategic areas identified support the organization’s overall mission and include: human resources, physicians, partnerships and alliances, community engagement, finance and continued implementation of being a “high reliability organization” (HRO). Being an HRO means the organization has an across-the-board commitment to robust process improvement in the areas of quality, safety, efficiency, infrastructure, communication, education and leadership. In our journey to become an HRO, AVH has seen a rise in what were already very strong scores for patient satisfaction as reported through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey (HCAHPS).

AVH is undoubtedly a great organization doing great things. This is truly going to be an “Epic” year, and I am excited to keep you posted on our progress!