# Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center

The Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center may refer to a regional hospital in Salida, Colorado, or the Colorado Health Service District and health system called Salida Hospital District.
The Salida Hospital District dba Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is one of Colorado's Special Districts defined by Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the "Special District Act". A special district is a form of local government granted authority by state law to provide a wide range of services. Health Service Districts were clarified in 1996 legislature House Bill 96-1275 which amended the Colorado Special District Act to allow health service districts to provide health services not clearly linked with a physical facility and authority to contract or work cooperatively with other healthcare providers. Their authority to operate and maintain health-related facilities not limited to hospitals, community clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing care facilities was unchanged. This 1996 update may have been partially in response to a lawsuit against the Poudre Health Service District. The Colorado legislature significantly expanded the scope and flexibility of health service districts in Colorado allowing them to provide a wide range of health services to their communities without the constraint of operating physical facilities for each service offered.
The Salida Hospital District was formed in 1976, and as of 1989 it is dba Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center. The Salida Hospital District covers all of Chaffee county and parts of Fremont and Saguache counties. The Salida Hospital District is a health system as it also operates several facilities outside of its geographical district including the Custer County Health Center. Overall the estimated population in the special district itself is 40,000 with an additional 20,000 people living in the rural areas proximal to facilities operated by the Salida Hospital District.
The Salida Hospital District operates a critical access hospital, six primary care clinics, multiple subspecialty clinics, an outpatient rehabilitation center, and two pharmacies.

## History of Salida Hospital

The hospital was originally founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1885 to serve its employees. The railroad sold the hospital to private investors in 1962, and they operated it until 1976, when it became a special district hospital. The current name dates from 1989, and the hospital moved to its current location in 2008. The hospital is part of the Salida Hospital District, a special district which covers Chaffee County and portions of Saguache and Fremont counties in central Colorado. Salida Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital, the hospital has 25 beds and a level IV trauma certification.

## Hospital Rating Data

The HealthGrades website publishes hospital quality, patient experience, overview, and selected reviews on this hospital.

## Hospital Financial Data

The financials for the hospital are not clearly separated from the financials of the entire health system Salida Hospital District dba Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center. For 2023, they reported over 300 million dollars in revenue with a net income of almost 15 million dollars or just over a 5% margin.