Aspen hospital changes name

Aspen Valley Hospital is reintroducing itself as Aspen Valley Health, officials announced Monday, May 12.

The new brand includes a redesigned logo and updated visual identity, created to unify Aspen Valley Health’s expanding network of services — from a single hospital to a comprehensive regional health system — under one umbrella.

“Essentially, all we’re doing is now identifying our brand more accurately with what we already do,” said Dave Ressler, Aspen Valley Health chief executive officer. “It won’t change how we provide services, bill, and collect for those services, but it does more accurately describe what we’re trying to accomplish with our services, which is improving the overall health and well-being in the community.”

One goal of the rebrand, which has been part of the hospital system’s facilities expansion and modernization project started in 2023, is to strengthen its recruitment and retention. 

“The biggest issue we’re facing is the wave of retirement from our industry and all industries,” Ressler said. 

He said Aspen Valley Health, which has 450 full-time employees, currently manages and leases over 100 employee housing units. It aims to allocate $40 million to create 50 more units using a modular housing approach.

“We’ve been trying, through our financial planning and looking towards the future, to provide some housing,” said Dr. Catherine Bernard, chief medical officer. “But that continues to be probably the hardest step: housing and cost of living for all staff.”

According to Aspen Valley Health, which receives over 80,000 patient visits annually, $20 million of its housing investment will come from cash reserves, while the remaining $20 million will come in the form of debt that is served by rental income.

The new brand launch coincides with National Hospital Week, a time dedicated to recognizing the people and systems that keep communities healthy, according to a news release. It also serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of AVH’s status as a community-supported, not-for-profit organization — a fact nearly half of local residents didn’t know, according to a recent survey.

Aspen Valley Health will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 16, for staff and key stakeholders to celebrate the completion of its master facilities expansion. A community-facing celebration honoring the history and future of the organization is also being planned in partnership with the Aspen Historical Society for this fall.

“We all understand how great it is to be here, that really is the key also to retaining people here, making sure that this is somewhere that they appreciate on those levels,” Bernard said. “But it’s not just the location and what’s available to you. This hospital is also amazing for the size.”

Ray K. Erku can be reached at (970) 429-9120 or rerku@aspentimes.com.