The Board of the West Custer County Hospital District (WCCHD) held a regular meeting on July 31. After a presentation from parent organization Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) about renovations at HRRMCâs hospital and clinic complex in Salida, the Board heard a report from Emergency Medical Services (EMS), a facilities update for the Custer County clinic, and finally, a presentation from consultant Mary Callan on next steps in the WCCHDâs Senior Health Project.
EMS manager Justine Beach reported that there had been 68 calls in June, with 18 transports, 40 refusals, five air transports, two Wetmore calls, one lift assist, and seven second calls. Total calls for the year are 393, up from 2024. Beach said that she was also working on job descriptions, including her own, as she would like to be able to spend more time on managerial issues.
Lisa Kidwell gave the Facilities report. âWeâve been extraordinarily busy,â she noted, trying to get the clinic and EMS building painted before winter. The flooring project is officially complete, and all three commissioned murals in the clinic are done. Kidwell said she was currently working on EMS building issues, remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms in the staff quarters. âWe are working to find a generator contractor to replace the panel on the generator,â Kidwell added: âThe camera system has arrived; installation on that will start in two weeks.â HRRMC has also requested a room change remodel, as they need more space.
Callan began her presentation on the senior healthcare project by noting that 35.7 percent of Custer Countyâs population is age 65 or over, which is considerably higher than the rest of the state (and the country). Following up on the âgap analysisâ between the current level of services available compared to what county residents needed and wanted, which she had presented at a previous meeting, Callan proposed a four-phase implementation plan, spread out over 5 years.
Phase One would start with what she termed an âImplementation Championâ to get it going. This position would report to the Board President and would ideally be accompanied by a stipend. Callan differentiated between this position and another, a Senior Services Navigator, which would come later and be a salaried position. Callan then outlined subsequent phases as follows: expansion of services; growth of those services, with a feasibility study for long-term care; and sustainability, with 60 percent earned revenue as the financial goal, along with grants, Medicare/Medicaid, and other sources of funding.
Callan said that WCCHD would probably need to put in about $50,000 to get started on the project, and that the âImplementation Champion,â ideally someone with strong ties to the community and a passion for the project, should be in place by October 7. âCome prepared to talk about this next meeting,â President Ron Terry said to the rest of the Board.
The next regular meeting of the WCCHD Board is August 28.
â Elliot Jackson
