First UCHealth report on Estes hospital shows more patients, more options

ESTES PARK — Estes Valley Medical Center introduced new services and saw notable increases in patient volume at the hospital in the months after it joined the UCHealth system, the hospital’s first annual update shows.

The update for the community is part of the affiliation agreement that combined Estes Park Health with UCHealth in December 2025. It covers the first seven months of operations, through June 30, the end of UCHealth’s fiscal year.

Vern Carda, president of EVMC, and Kevin Unger, president and CEO of the UCHealth Northern Colorado region, reported that the hospital and clinics saw growth in key areas, including a 28% increase in surgeries, a 17% increase in emergency department visits and expanded access to virtual care.

EVMC’s $3.8 million annual operating loss was reduced to $1.4 million, or a negative 4.5% margin, thanks to $2.5 million in Park Hospital District funding, according to the report issued Thursday.

UCHealth paid off Estes Park Health’s $10 million debt upon affiliation.

Carda and Unger noted that EVMC has focused on aligning services with community needs while strengthening long‑term sustainability. This includes adjusting surgical hours to match current volume, increasing clinical staffing, expanding behavioral health services and adding more radiology appointments.

New advanced services brought to EVMC include 24/7 tele-stroke coverage, providing rapid virtual neurological expertise for stroke diagnosis and treatment. The hospital also joined UCHealth’s Biobank, a partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus in Aurora that supports genetic research and helps providers personalize care and medication decisions based on individual risk factors.

EVMC, as with many rural hospitals across Colorado, faces significant challenges as federal funding changes take effect, including reductions to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts are expected to increase the number of uninsured patients and uncompensated care. Rural hospitals are particularly vulnerable, with more than 80% already operating on unsustainable margins, according to the Colorado Hospital Association, but EVMC is made stronger by its affiliation with UCHealth.

“EVMC now has the resources and support of a larger health system, strengthened by talented employees and strong community support,” Carda and Unger said in the 2026 update. “The challenges ahead are real, but so is our commitment to this community.“

The hospital was founded in 1975 as Elizabeth Knutsson Memorial Hospital through a tax subsidy approved by Estes Park voters.

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