"Having a sonographer on staff at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC)has allowed us to provide a valuable diagnostic service to our local community without having to pay expensive fees to contractors. We receive "Grow Your Own" funds from CROP to train Kari Hadley, who was previously working as a radiology receptionist. Kari is thriving in her new position"
-Nate Olson, HRRMC, Salida
Jay Brooke
"High Plains Community Health Center has a state-of-the-art medical building thanks in part to the funding we received from the Colorado Rural Outreach Program (CROP) in 1999. This new building has allowed us to double the number of underserved people we provide primary care to in Prowers County. Thanks so much for your assistance!"
-Jay Brooke, High Plains Community Health Center, Lamar
Lottie Whitmer
"The new portable EKG machine we purchased with CROP grant funds replaced an older, outdated model. Our cardiologist is now able to provide a higher quality of care for patients with the updated enhance equipment. Not only does this keep our consulting cardiologist happy, but it is much more convenient for patients who can have EKGs without having to be moved out of their rooms."
-Lottie Whitmer, Director of Nursing, Rio Grande Hospital, Del Norte
Dr. Matt Nowland
"Help with student loan repayment was a major factor in my decision to practice in rural Colorado. With the help of CROP I have been able to pay down my student loans much quicker than I could have otherwise. This has also helped to make it possible to stay in a rural area to practice. Thank you for supporting rural Colorado!"
-Matt Nowland, MD, Yuma District Hospital, Yuma
Brindi the Mastiff
The clinic in Custer County was awarded a grant in 2003 to pay for temporary coverage, so that the county's only physician, Dr. Bliss, could take a long overdue vacation. Despite encouragement from the community and patients, he only (grudgingly) took a weekend off. His Board of Directors asked if there was anything else they could do to encourage his retention and thank him for his dedication to the community. He finally came up with an idea - a companion. Dr. Bliss had always wanted to adopt a bull mastiff. The board agreed it was a viable retention plan - owning a dog of that size would certainly make living in the country more attractive, and paying for his food would make Dr. Bliss think twice about quitting. The CROP grant review committee agreed, and the unusual Westcliffe retention plan was approved. Dr. Bliss and Brindi are happy and 'retained' in Custer County
-West Custer County Hospital District, Westcliffe
Pioneers Hospital of Rio Blanco County
"Pioneers Medical Center and our service area in eastern Rio Blanco County have benefited substantially as a recipient of CROP Grant funds. In 2002, one of our four local family practice physicians had to take emergency leave from his practice, and it became necessary to arrange for temporary physician staffing through a firm providing locum tenens staffing services. Such temporary staffing results in an extraordinary expense for small rural facilities such as ours. The physician staffing was crucial to the operation of the hospital, emergency department, and Meeker Family Health Center (our Rural Health Clinic). The CROP Grant funds were matched with local funds to ensure the needed physician staffing for several weeks in our remote, rural community. We are grateful for the availability of this grant program and the service and expertise for the CRHC staff in administering such programs for sustaining rural healthcare services."
-Robert Omer, CEO, Pioneers Hospital of Rio Blanco County, Meeker
Sheryl Hieber
"We received a CROP grant in the amount of $24,000 to assist Dr. Kevin Pulsipher with his student loans. Dr. Pulsipher has been practicing at Surface Creek Family Practice since 1993 as a full-time family physician. He is well liked by patients, fits in well with the community, and has been a valuable asset to the clinic, bringing in additional revenue through workers compensation and airline pilot physicals. The CROP loan repayment grant helped us retain Dr. Pulsipher."
-Sheryl Hieber, Administrator, Surface Creek Family Practice, Cedaredge
Charlotte Stark
"I am a family nurse practitioner in Custer County, located in the southern Colorado mountains. I am a CROP grant recipient. The grant enabled me to continue living in this rural community by decreasing my financial burden of education-related debt. This has increased my job satisfaction and enabled me to work with a wonderful patient population and medical staff."
-Charlotte Stark, FNP, West Custer County Hospital District, WestCliffe
