“We are very motivated to move forward with affiliation with UCHealth,” said Estes Park Health board chair Cory Workman, opening the Estes Park Health board meeting Wednesday evening.
Workman, who noted that he was speaking on behalf of the board, refuted comments from fellow board member Tom Leigh, whose commentary, “Estes Park Health trustee calls for pause in hospital acquisition by UCHealth,” was published in the Estes Valley Voice on Tuesday.
In his written commentary, Leigh asked that the affiliation be delayed until more community questions could be answered.
On May 16, EPH signed an agreement detailing affiliation arrangements with the nonprofit hospital organization.
“I want you all to understand that that is not the opinion of the board,” Workman told the audience of 19 attendees, countering Leigh’s personal opinion.
“It’s important for each of us to know that the process was hard fought over a couple of years to get us to this point. We appreciate UCHealth and their motivation to work with us and be here in our community. We are grateful for the progress that we have made thus far,” Workman said.
Echoing Workman’s comments, board vice-chair Steve Alper stressed that the community needs to consider budget cuts to Medicare and Medicaid due to the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Act signed into law on July 4, 2025, as Public Law 119-21.
“It’s going to have a very significant impact on rural hospitals,” Alper said. “So the financial outlook with this bill is not positive for us.”
Rising costs related to technological advances in modern medical practice and difficulties in recruiting and retaining local employees are two of the looming financial problems facing Estes Park Health. Acquisition by the largest health care system in the state will provide the 23-bed critical access hospital with benefits, including access to staffing and equipment, that EPH cannot provide on its own.
“We might not have another opportunity,” Alper said, as he countered Leigh’s written comments. “A delay could very seriously jeopardize this whole deal.”
Saying that an affiliation with UCHealth is a good, Leigh said, “I don’t think this is the right agreement, and I think there are a number of flaws” in it. Further, “my remarks remain as a private citizen…I just have a different viewpoint about it.”
“I don’t think a delay of a few months is likely to harm this deal,” Leigh said.
In other comments, CEO Vern Carda said in his report to the board that four affiliation-related activities were consuming the majority of staff efforts: people, relationships with UCHealth, technology transitions, and pre-closing legal matters.
“Both entities, UCHealth and Estes Park Health, are working really hard to understand all of our job titles, pay ranges, paid time off, sick leave, accrued sick leave, insurance benefits, everything that goes along with being an employee, and we’re figuring out how to transition that together into a new corporation and a new organization,” Carda said.
Regarding technology needs, Carda said, “The IT men and women have a full-time job to balance, yet we are tasked and put in charge of transitioning our business, and so it’s been a full-time load to move this particular business to a new corporation.”
Carda told the board that meetings with significant UCHealth representatives in various areas, including pharmacy and food service, have been important to relationship-building.
“I’m really happy with the caliber, quality, and content of the meetings. The people (from UCHealth) are really super. They’re helpful. I think we found a really good marriage partner. I think they’ll make a great community partner,” Carda said.
Issues being ironed out include schedules and transition items that are in process.
Finally, Carda said he and his staff are working to ensure all the pre-closing covenants are ready for delivery at closing.
Earlier in the meeting, Alper said the target date for the transition could be Oct. 1.