Letter: An important hospital election looms

I feel that one of the most critical issues facing our city is the future of our district hospital. It is interesting that this important election, being run by Aspen Valley Hospital, has had no organized candidate forum and nothing in either of the newspapers!

Is it possible that our current hospital board doesn’t want new blood on the board?

I wonder why three of the current Aspen Valley Hospital board members would endorse candidates running for the public hospital board election simply because they have already served on the board. Is it because they want to continue with business as usual? It appears to me that the last thing we need is business as usual. We need to look closely at all seven individuals who are running for the hospital board and determine who is best qualified to lead this wonderful community asset into the future.

Our hospital is in a critical period with increased building, a future new CEO, new physicians, the new AspenOrtho, the restructuring of the executive leadership team at the hospital, the continuing outflow of locals seeking medical care outside of the valley, and the encroaching of Valley View Hospital into the midvalley. We need and deserve the best hospital board that we can get.

I have looked at the candidates and am encouraging the community to look closely at Peter Hershberger, a 17-year registered nurse at Aspen Valley Hospital; Rudi Scheidt, with his strong business background and no agenda other than a willingness to work for the best interests of the community and its stakeholders; and Eric Willsky (yes, my husband!) because of his strong, 27-year ties with the hospital, the community and the experience and knowledge that will allow him to grasp strategic directions needed to lead the hospital for future growth.

I feel strongly that this community needs and deserves to look at all of the candidates running in order to make an informed opinion of who will best meet the needs of the stakeholders in the community and who will best help us keep our hospital strong.

Roxanne Willsky

Aspen