By Garry Schalla, Development Director
Mountain Family Health Centers is pleased to announce the support of partners Pitkin County, Aspen Valley Hospital, Aspen Skiing Company and its employees for our “Building Health for All” campaign to develop the new Basalt Integrated Health Center.
Mountain Family’s $2.5 million “Building Health for All” capital campaign will fund a new, state-of-the-art health center for the provision of fully-integrated medical, behavioral and dental health care, located at 123 Emma Road in Basalt. The Basalt Integrated Health Center is set to open in December 2018. Pitkin County, Aspen Valley Hospital, Aspen Skiing Company and its employee have taken a leadership role as partners in supporting the project.
With the new health center, Mountain Family will ensure all residents and workers in the Roaring Fork Valley have access to affordable, integrated health care. This is particularly true for the more than 27% of residents (13,761 individuals) in the Valley who have low household incomes, many of whom also do not have health insurance and/or are unable to find a provider who accepts Medicaid or offers a sliding fee scale discount program.
“We so appreciate the leadership of Pitkin County, Aspen Valley Hospital, Aspen Skiing Company and our other early supporters to our expanded Basalt Integrated Health Center,” said Garry Schalla, Mountain Family’s Development Director. “We look forward to providing high-quality integrated medical, dental and behavioral health care to more than 3,700 persons every year, at one convenient location.”
Pitkin County is contributing the recently purchased Basalt building to ensure health care needs for residents and workers are met. This $3.6 million investment will provide a long-term home for Mountain Family’s Basalt Integrated Health Center. Pitkin County has granted favorable lease terms for the property over the next 40 plus years.
Pitkin County is also ensuring access to behavioral health care by contributing to behavioral health staff salaries at the Basalt health center via their mental health contract with Mind Springs Health and Mountain Family Health Centers as a subcontractor.
Aspen Valley Hospital is also investing in the long-term health care needs of the community, with an annual contribution of $150,000 toward the lease payments for the building.
Aspen Valley Hospital and Pitkin County are also investing in the community’s health through their subsidies of uncompensated care for the uninsured. The hospital contributes $135,000 per year. Pitkin County contributes an additional $75,000 per year through the Healthy Communities Fund.
The newest partner in the Mountain Family Health Centers Basalt Integrated Health Center is the Aspen Skiing Company and its employees. They contributed $100,000, as a challenge grant to ensure others come forward to support the project. Interested donors are encouraged to contact Mountain Family Development Director Garry Schalla to discuss giving options, or go to www.mountainfamily.org.
Ross Brooks, Mountain Family’s Chief Executive Officer, says, “We are thrilled with the support of our friends and neighbors for this important campaign. Our vision is ensuring access to health care for the most vulnerable among us. We envision a future in which all persons have access to the affordable, high quality, integrated primary medical, behavioral and dental health care they need for optimal health.”