Leadville Hospital Under New Management But Could Still Close
By Jeff Todd
LEADVILLE, Colo. (CBS4)- There's a sign as you drive into Leadville from the north that reads "We Love Leadville, Great Living at 10,200 feet."
Most hospital staff didn't think their job would include clearing snow off the roof in the middle of January, but that's the shape St. Vincent hospital is in.
A leaky roof was found just after a flood occurred in the basement. The building has been close to disrepair for a while.
Long Term Care was eliminated after the fire marshal deemed the rooms uninhabitable because the heating system didn't work and patients were left with space heaters.
"I've done some research on the hospital and it appears to me that it's lost money every year at least since 2000," said Dennis Johnson, the Board of Directors Chair for St. Vincent Hospital.
RELATED: Some Leadville Residents Didn't Think Hospital Would Really Close
In November voters declined a mill levy increase, which would have been the first since 1988. The day after the election the hospital announced it would close at the end of March.
"We absolutely have to have an emergency room, that's critical," Johnson said.
Earlier this month Centura Health signed a contract to manage the hospital for a year. It is currently assessing the building and the communities health needs.
"Centura Health signed a contract with the board Feb. 2 of this year and that's when I came on board," said Sam Radke, the new hospital CEO. "The first four months is to assess what scope of services and what the building would look like for the long term."
"The goal is for Centura to come up with a plan, a plan for long term health care and what that involves at this point I just don't know," Johnson said.
Both Johnson and Radke admit the hospital isn't out in the clear yet.
"We have been skating on thin ice financially. We have had a lot of trouble making payroll the past two pay periods," Johnson said.
A $250,000 loan was taken out from a Lake County citizen so payroll could be met recently.
Radke said Centura is committed to making things work for the Leadville hospital, but said the company "wasn't a bank."
Federal and State money has been made available since Centura signed on to help the hospital, but so far that money hasn't come in yet.
"As much as we try and hurry these government officials it doesn't always work out as quickly as we'd like," Johnson said.
"At some point the taxpayers do need to consider at some future time what they're willing to pay for and what does make sense for the future," Radke said.
As long as bills can still be paid, the hospital isn't anticipating a closing anymore. But exactly what kind of hospital will remain in Leadville likely won't be known until this summer.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.
