These reflections on the past twenty years are part of our ongoing series for 2011 encouraging our members to share their thoughts with us. If you have memories, stories of why you love working rural Colorado, or thoughts on what “rural” means to you, please send them to sm@coruralhealth.org.

“There are just of few of us who remember working in rural healthcare in Colorado before the Rural Health Center even existed.  I remember meeting with family members of patients who had been transferred to more advanced facilities and having to try to explain why the doctors on the receiving end had told them that the care we provided was substandard. I remember when patients with possible head injuries had to be transferred 120 miles to have there heads cleared by a CT scan and were back in town the same afternoon describing the inferior services our rural hospital provided. Those were not the “good old days”.

Today, the auto licensing fees provide support for EMS equipment and RETACs work diligently to provide education and coordination of system members. The Trauma program has made the transfer and quality of care dialogue vastly better and has fulfilled its promise to improve trauma care throughout the State. Our improved funding enabled us to purchase or lease CT scanners and other advanced technologies and, now, we can send those images instantaneous to our partners at larger facilities. Our community recognizes this as being able to support their care, no matter what and make good treatment decisions.

Through all of this the Rural Health Center has been there; providing education, providing grant funding, providing technical assistance, advocating for us with payers and regulators, and, frankly, holding our hand during tough situations. I remember vividly my first Critical Access survey conducted by the State of Colorado and Lou Ann Wilroy [CRHC’s CEO] being right there with me at the hospital guiding us through the process. Thanks for being a positive force for change in rural Colorado.”