2020 PSMC Community Report - Flipbook - Page 3
Joint Message from PSMC’s CEO Rhonda P. Webb, MD
and Board Chairman Greg Schulte
2020 is a year that no one will forget. All of our lives were turned upside down by the closure of businesses and
schools, the travel shutdown, stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, all caused by COVID-19. We know it
was an incredibly difficult time for our community to endure.
Working on the front lines of healthcare and leading a hospital that has the very serious responsibility of
preventing illness and caring for those sick or injured gave us a different perspective on the pandemic. From the
beginning, we at Pagosa Springs Medical Center were acutely aware of what could happen to the community,
to our family and friends, if the virus spread uncontrollably. Knowing many hospitals were overwhelmed gave a
sense of urgency to our work as we changed procedures, protocols, and operations in almost every department
to combat this pandemic.
The year 2020 was full of challenges due to COVID, from shortages of personal protective equipment needed
to keep our staff safe, to establishing a mass-testing system, educating the community and formulating plans
to transfer acutely ill patients when every intensive care bed in Colorado was occupied. And while all this
was happening, we had to continue to run our hospital. We treated the sprained ankles and heart attacks.
We managed patients’ medications and chronic diseases. We provided chemotherapy treatments to cancer
patients. We coordinated the installation of a new HVAC environmental system for the hospital, applied for
grants and stimulus funding, and reduced our expenses to ensure PSMC could pay its bills and its dedicated
staff. We are proud to say we were successful in all of these efforts.
We are happy to report that despite the pandemic, PSMC is financially stable and beginning to change its focus
from a public health crisis response to a renewed focus on continued growth and improvement of services.
From the earliest days of the health district’s formation in 1981, to voter approval of the mill levy in 2001,
opening the hospital in 2008 and the new outpatient clinic in 2017, PSMC has seen tremendous growth not only
in the facilities it operates, but in the services it provides. We see that continuing.
While Pagosa Springs Medical Center is still a relatively young and small medical center, it has been fortunate
to attract a diverse group of medical providers committed to caring for our community. Under the current
leadership, medical staff turnover has been low. This stability is one factor that has allowed PSMC to operate
from a relatively stronger financial position than in previous years. We say “relatively stronger” because finances
for small, rural hospitals are inherently challenging, and PSMC is no exception. Compared to other businesses,
rural hospital margins are very thin, and the debt incurred to build our facilities was significant. The good news
is that with historically low interest rates, we recently worked to refinance PSMC’s 2006 bond debt and PSMC
will realize more than 1.8 million total savings (21%) over the next 15 years without extending
the life of the debt.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that a strong and resilient
community steps up to help those in need. Pagosa Springs Medical
Center is grateful for the continued support of our community, and
for placing your trust in us to provide healthcare for you and your
family.
Thank you!
2020 COMMUNITY REPORT
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