San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center’s CEO wins prestigious award

ALAMOSA – San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center CEO Russ Johnson is the winner of the 2007 Rural Healthcare Excellence Award. This prestigious award is given annually by the Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) to honor someone who has made a notable contribution to health, healthcare, or healthcare delivery system in rural Colorado.

“The Colorado Rural Health Center is a great organization who really knows and serves rural health care needs,” said Johnson. “It’s an honor and a surprise to be chosen by them for our work here in the Valley. When you work with wonderful colleagues, in a supportive community, doing great things, winning an award is like icing on the cake.”

SLV Regional Medical Center Chairman of the Board of Trustees Robert Hagedorn nominated Johnson for the award. He said, “Russ has taken healthcare in our rural community to a new level. It has not always been comfortable making the decision to take risks that he has proposed, but it has always turned out to be the right thing to do for the community.”

Johnson became CEO at SLVRMC six years ago, very aware of the challenges ahead of him. “He knew that serving this population, in which only 22-percent of its patients are commercially insured, requires working together for the greater good,” Hagedorn said. “His collaborations are unending and their results speak for themselves.”

Four years ago, Johnson adopted a strategic plan with “Partners of Choice for Healthcare Solutions” as a key initiative. He set out to break down some barriers that previously existed among health care providers in the Valley.

When the only specialty physician clinic in the Valley was in jeopardy of closing their doors a few years ago, they came to Johnson for help. Today, SLVRMC has a specialty physician clinic under the umbrella of the hospital, retaining crucial healthcare for the Valley. Recruitment and retention have been very successful, going from nine doctors who came from the old clinic to now having more than 29 providers under this new model to serve Valley patients.

Johnson is now working with the two local colleges to be a “good partner” in supporting their efforts to expand and enhance their nursing programs, and possibly locating them on the hospital’s campus to provide an all-inclusive learning facility for them.

Johnson is the third San Luis Valley winner of the Rural Healthcare Excellence Award since 1994 when Vivian Gallegos, R.N., of San Luis, was the recipient. Norman Haug, M.D., of Del Norte, was honored in 1999.

Last Modified: August 28, 2007