SLVRMC HISTORY (1927-2002: The first 75 years)

Some of the following information was taken from Gordon E. Gillson's "Alamosa Community Hospital: A History of Service".

The San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center began as the Alamosa Hospital owned and operated by Dr. Charles A. Davlin. The hospital was located at 715 Main Street in Alamosa, currently the site of Curtis Bros. Home Furnishing's warehouse. On December 7, 1927 Dr. Davlin turned the hospital over to the newly organized, Lutheran Hospital Association. In February of 1928, the Lutheran Hospital was open and functioning. A six-month lease was signed for $125/month, the hospital furniture and equipment was purchased from Dr. Davlin for $2800 and registered nurses were signed on for $90/month. Hospital charges were meager: $10 for major surgery and $5 for minor surgery.

In 1935 talk began about the construction of a new hospital, preferably on with 50 beds. An important break came late in 1937 when the "Cle Long" site immediately west of the "Edgemont Addition", was purchased by the board for $1500.

The new hospital was ready for occupancy by the end of September and "Moving Day" was set for Oct. 2nd. Alamosans were gratified that the new hospital was being removed from downtown and was being placed in a much larger, modern, fireproof structure on the west end of town.


In 1944, hospital president, O.A. Hiller faced failing health and requested the Board of Directors to find new leadership for the hospital. After a few temporary replacements, the Board decided the hospital needed a permanent, full-time administrator. The first name discussed was Elton A. Reese of Monte Vista. A committee was appointed to meet with Reese on May 23, 1946. The committee recommended that the applicant be hired, and five days later the Board agreed unanimously. So began a new era in the history of Alamosa Community Hospital.

Elton Reese began 35 years as hospital Administrator on June 10th, 1946. For the next two decades, the Alamosa Community Hospital was largely a "one man show". Reese was viewed as a stubborn man who couldn't be intimidated, especially in the face of criticism. Reese was said to have done, "a helluva job" by many physicians. He was a first rate organizer and businessman.


The 1970s showed rapid growth among hospital personnel. From a figure of 50-60 employees in the old building during most of the 1960s, the hospital payroll jumped to 160 in 1981. With advanced technology, nursing became much more complex creating more duties for the nurses; luckily, notable contributions were made by members of the Gray Ladies (a service organization of Red Cross) who have been assisting with patient care services at the hospital since 1961. Another area of spectacular growth occurred in the laboratory, as an additional laboratory service became available in 1973 when the hospital purchased an EEG machine.

In 1974 the hospital added another large building, the San Luis Valley Medical Professional Clinic. The Medical Professional Corporation, established in 1971, requested that the hospital construct a modern new facility and then lease it to the physicians. Most of the clinic was occupied by members of the Professional Corporation (PC), although Valley Wide Health Services occupied the western end for several years.

Jerome Miller was hired as Assistant Administrator in 1976; this gave Elton Reese the opportunity to present the Hospital Board a proposal: he would conclude his duties as Administrator in 1978, and assume the new position of Executive Director. The Board agreed to this arrangement, and the change took place on January 1st, 1979. Mr. Reese then served on the Board for two and a half years before retiring on June 10th, 1981. This ended the remarkable career of Mr. Elton Reese, the "one man show."

Jerome Miller took over the reigns as Hospital Administrator and commented that "the burden of running the hospital was immensely by the administrative structure already instilled by Elton Reese.

As the San Luis Valley Regional Medical center moved toward the 21st Century, the hospital was changing with the times. A long awaited $6.2 million addition to SLVRMC was coming on line in the early 1990s. The addition included a new facility to house the ambulance service, expanded emergency and examination areas, a laboratory and a streamlined admitting/discharge area.

The emergency room would be comprised of six separate examination and treatment rooms, and the second floor of the new addition would include an OB/GYN section complete with a labor room, postpartum and birthing rooms. The third floor of the addition was dedicated to critical care, with a six-bed intensive care/cardiac care unit, as well as 10 additional medical/surgical beds.

SLVRMC was also improving its ability to transfer and receive the most serious cases, by using the fourth level to establish a "helipad" for the Flight for Life helicopter, eliminating the need for transporting patients to and from Bergman field.

The business office was remodeled and parking added. New waiting rooms and a chapel were included in the renovation.

In an effort to continue improving to meet the community's changing needs, SLVRMC conducted a major community survey in 1994-1995. The purpose of the polling was to gauge the hospital's abilities to meet residents' needs, and to find areas for improvement.

In September of 1995, the hospital completed installation of the Valley's first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The in 1997, the hospital began the $2 million build-out of the north wing of the hospital, including the Women's Center. The project also included installation of a new, $285,000 emergency generator, replacing the hospital's 30-year-old model.

The bulk of the $2 million project would see completion of the Women's Center, including 7 private labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms, and five private gynecological rooms. New furnishings made the rooms seem less institutional. Also both Level I (basic care), and Level II (intensive care) newborns. This phase of the building project included relocation of the Pharmacy and Pathology services to the second floor of the North wing, and the addition of the three semi-private rooms to the third floor.

In addition, SLVRMC relocated EKG, EEG, sleep lab endoscopy and respiratory therapy to the third floor.

Given the increased incidence of diabetes in the Hispanic population, dialysis was seen as a needed service by SLVRMC, and the hospital moved quickly to provide that service. The North wing was officially unveiled to the public in March of 1998, and in June the hospital unveiled its dialysis unit, which allowed SLV patients to receive kidney dialysis right here in the San Luis Valley. While the unit had two patients when it first opened, it quickly expanded to 12 patients in 2 shifts, and then to 23 patients. Its growth continues. Today the Dialysis department runs three shifts a day, 7 days a week and services 42 patients a week.

As the 20th Century was closing, SLVRMC announced it was acquiring the latest in state-of-the-art technology. The hospital acquired a new 1.5 Tesla MRI with a much larger magnet than the previous unit. This allowed quicker scans and much sharper, more detailed images. At the same time, the radiology department acquired a spiral CT scanner, which played a role in helping SLVRMC become a level III Trauma Center.

This year the hospital celebrates 75 years of service; the staff of the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center continue to strive to make exceptional healthcare personal.

Last Modified: April 23, 2007