A Rural Health System Targets Transformation

n 2013, San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, Conejos County Hospital and five clinics officially became one entity: San Luis Valley Health. This rural health care system, based in Alamosa, Colo., is now fully focused on engaging community stakeholders and working together to craft a long-term vision for transformation. “Health care must be done as a community, not to a community,” CEO Konnie Martin emphasizes. To understand and support transformation—redefining the “H”—in 2014 the AHA's Committee on Research and Committee on Performance Improvement hosted community conversations across the U.S. with leaders in health care, finance, higher education and business. Among the participants at a Keystone, Colo., gathering were leaders from San Luis Valley Health. The health system is working to expand and sustain its own community conversations, and has outlined strategies to create a “system for the future” and remain competitive in a changing field. Strategies include: pursuing the Triple Aim; partnering with clinicians, nontraditional competitors, payers, employers and patients; increasing transparency; improving customer service; increasing state-level leadership; expanding technology; transforming the workforce; and focusing on prevention in improving community health.

HPOE.org offers many resources on health care transformation, including “Leadership Toolkit for Redefining the H: Engaging Trustees and Communities,” based on community conversations held nationwide. A webinar presentation about redefining the H and including San Luis Valley Health's transformation work is also available.