Estes Park's only hospital joining UCHealth System

Estes Park's only hospital joining UCHealth System 
Fort Collins Coloradoan; by Kelly Lyell; 10/17/24 
Estes Park Health has started the process of joining the UCHealth System, with an expected starting date in the spring of 2025, the two organizations announced in a joint news release Wednesday. ... Estes Park Health has been financially challenged in recent years to maintain its services, the news release said, citing problems hospitals across the country have had keeping up with “dramatically increasing expenses, rising uncompensated care and minimal increases in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid.” As a result, the only hospital serving the Estes Valley, including visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park, has had to transfer or reduce its obstetrics, home health and hospice services.
Editor's note: We've been following this story as but one of many examples of rural healthcare examples that result in reduced utilization for hospice services. Click here for our post on 1/8/24 about their "difficult decision to eliminate in-home hospice and home health care services as part of a plan to bring the hospital into a financially secure position."