Here comes Fall, my favorite time of year. When the cool air starts to roll in, leaves start to change colors, MLB baseball is closing out, football is rolling, basketball season starts, and the animals start to move to lower ground. I will share a personal experience I had in the clinic, an update on a few service lines and partnerships we have fostered.

As the Chief Executive Officer of our hospital, I have the privilege of witnessing the dedication and excellence our providers bring to their work every day. I regularly hear accounts of compassionate care and exceptional service offered to our patients. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to experience that same level of care in a much more personal way—through the treatment of my daughter, Taya.

Taya had been experiencing a fever and congestion over the course of several days. I took her to our clinic, where we were seen by Dr. Morwood. His approach was methodical and compassionate. After a thorough evaluation and several diagnostic questions, he ordered an x-ray, a respiratory panel, and a comprehensive set of laboratory tests.

All results returned negative, which led to the clinical determination that her illness began as a viral respiratory infection and had since developed into a secondary bacterial infection. Dr. Morwood prescribed an appropriate course of antibiotics, and we were discharged.

While Taya showed some initial improvement over the following week, she continued to struggle with a persistent cough and noticeable hearing loss—symptoms consistent with an ear infection. We returned to the clinic, where she was evaluated by Kelsey Riggio. Following her assessment, a second round of antibiotics was prescribed. This course proved effective, and Taya gradually returned to her normal self, regaining her hearing.

This experience reaffirmed something I have long known but was grateful to witness personally: our providers are deeply committed to their patients. Their clinical expertise is matched by their compassion and their willingness to go beyond—regardless of the patient’s background or circumstances.

While some may assume that my family’s experience was elevated due to my position within the organization, I can confidently say this is the standard of care extended to every patient who walks through our doors. I have heard countless related stories from members of our community, all of which reflect the same ambitious standards of care and dedication.

I would like to extend gratitude to Dr. Morwood and Kelsey for taking care of Taya, in addition Dr. Torgersen, Vivian Dillon and the entire clinic team. Your professionalism, attentiveness, and dedication exemplify the mission and values we strive to uphold in our organization. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our patients and our community.

Dr. Andrew Morse, our general surgeon, was hired on by Family Health West. He has been in transition the last few months and will start again soon. We had to wait for him to get credentialed with FHW and settled in before he could start coming to Rangely again. He is still on track to start up this fall and continue his services for us. I apologize for any waiting times as we make this important transition.

Since launching our MRI suite, we.ve seen exceptional community response and utilization – far exceeding initial projections. Our investment in this addition and technology is already paying off, allowing patients to get high quality diagnostic imaging without the inconvenience of long waits, or traveling.

Sleep Studies are another service line that is up and running. Wait times are shorter and diagnostic reads are coming back sooner than anticipated. We have the capability to perform the in-home study as well as the overnight sleep lab here at the hospital. If you have apnea, feel fatigue during the day, or have trouble sleeping. Set up a clinic appointment with one of our providers.

Finally, we have partnered with several colleges. One of those is our local CNCC college to provide a great learning experience for their students. Earlier this year the hospital purchased a couple of houses on White Avenue. These houses will be for short term living spaces for  our recruitment efforts, staff placement as well as for nursing or radiology students doing rotation at the hospital. We are excited to show them what RDH has to offer. We have other partnerships as well with CU boulder for physical therapy and several physician assistant programs. These partnerships are vital for our future workforce.

As we head deeper into fall, we want to thank the Rangely and surrounding communities for your trust and support. Whether you have visited us for a checkup, imaging, surgery, or sleep study – or even came up for coffee we are honored to serve you.