Tag Archives: Patients First

Open Letter to Taxpayers…

An open letter to the Taxpayers and Patients of the Custer County Community Clinic
We have practiced medicine in the Clinic in Westcliffe for many years. We have treated patients with injuries both major and minor, and managed chronic illnesses for years at a time. We have struggled with unwieldy computers, politics, finances and unreasonable policies.
We both love the people who come in to the Clinic. But several years ago management of the Clinic provoked us to leave. It was a difficult decision for both of us. Both of us would love to return.
We think that if a new transparent board is in place, we have a chance to re-create the Clinic.
We believe in a practice that is based on patient care; everything else is secondary to that sacred goal.
We believe that this can be accomplished through a model known as the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Look it up on the internet, it is a national program for excellence in patient care. The patient-centered medical home is a model of care that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into “what patients want it to be.” Once certified as a PCMH, the Clinic may qualify for higher reimbursement rates.
On May 8, take the time to vote for the Patients First slate of candidates for the board of the Clinic. These bright talented people are volunteering to make the Clinic a source of community pride, the way it was years ago.
To make it a place to teach and recruit medical students and medical residents, who might one day chose to live and practice here in this beautiful valley.
To make it a place that you would choose first for your primary medical needs.
To make it a place that respects your confidentiality
Please, vote for the Patients First Team: Mike Haga, Mike Kienbusch, David Brothers, Ann Barthrop and Larry Luikart.
Thank you.
Gary Alan Mohr, M.D.
Robert Bliss, M.D.
Family Physicians

Rural Healthcare Forum

Rural Healthcare Forum Packed
by Concerned Citizens
Which Is More Important:
Doctors or Bureaucracy?

by Fred Hernandez
By all accounts and measures it was an overflow attendance at Tony’s Pizza on Thursday evening, April 26th, for the monthly Liberty Rocks public forum hosted by Dan and Jackie Bubis. At 6 p.m., just before the meeting was called to order, the room was full to capacity with over 100 guests. The crowd was energetic and in good spirits as the Master of Ceremonies, Dan Bubis, got the meeting started with his ROE (Rules of Engagement); there would be two short power point presentations by Mr. Malin Jones and Dr. Gary Mohr to offer basic information and statistics on rural healthcare, followed by a question and answer period at which time the five PATIENTS FIRST candidates running for the Clinic Board would speak about their backgrounds and be available for questions and answers from the audience. Jax Bubis would be the official time keeper and keep everyone on schedule in order to have an orderly meeting and conclude on time. Continue reading Rural Healthcare Forum

“Patients First” Reform Slate Running for Clinic Board

by George Gramlich
The troubled West Custer County Hospital District (aka “Clinic”) is having an unusual election come May 8th: All five Board of Directors positions are up for election. The five current Board members, Bob Tobin, Ann Evans, Janny Candelaria, Bob Weisenbach and Katherine Ripley-Williams have all indicated that they are running for re-election.
In an interesting twist, a group of local citizens concerned with the chronically poor performance of the Clinic and the never-ending management issues have banded together to form a reform slate and are running a team of five new candidates for the Board, dubbed the “Patients First” team.

The Patients First Team consists of Mike Haga, Mike Kienbusch,
David Brothers, Ann Barthrop and Larry Luikart. Their intent is to change the orientation of the Clinic’s efforts to a “Patients First” priority with a reform platform (noted below). Continue reading “Patients First” Reform Slate Running for Clinic Board