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This is the first contested race for the board of directors at the hospital in six years. Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) canceled two previous ones because no one applied, except the incumbents. For this election, there are seven candidates running for two open seats.The candidates all answered a series of questions posed by Aspen Public Radio. Here are their responses.Ballots must be returned to AVH's administration office by 7 p.m. on May 3. They can be mailed or dropped off in person.

Mindy Nagle, MD

Aspen Valley Hospital

Profession: MD- OB/GYN

Age: 48

Where do you live? Aspen

How long have you lived in the valley? 1990 to 1993, then 2001 to present

In what capacity have you used AVH? How would you rate your experience and why? I use AVH for any of my medical needs and believe the care and service are unmatched.

What compelled you to run for a board seat? I have been on the AVH Board for eight years and feel that the continued presence of a physician viewpoint on the board is important to keep focus on patient centered care.

What makes you qualified to serve? Experience on the board to date, as well as experience of a physician in this community.

What is the most important issue facing AVH? Healthcare in general? How will you address it? AVH has issues similar to Healthcare in general as well as issues that are specific to the hospital.  As far as those issues that are unique to AVH, I would include the CEO search, completion of the Master's Facility Plan, retention of hospital employees with ever challenging cost of living in our valley and completion of upgrade to electronic health record and exchange of information. For these issues a strong board will be intimately involved in all aspects. CEO search requires an extensive search in and outside of the valley with inclusion of partners in the community, hospital staff and physicians both hospital and community based. The Master's Facility Plan requires continued focus on completion of fundraising goals. That funding will continue to dictate the staging process of the project to make sure those funds are available and fiduciary responsibility is maintained. Retention of employees is not new or unique but requires ongoing evaluation of housing options that exist and those that may be new options.  The completion of electronic health record and information exchange is underway with the partnering with CU.

As for the larger issues for healthcare in general, these have been focuses for this board for several years and will be ongoing. Healthcare is an unsustainable industry in this country with its present model. The cost for care, the cost for businesses to provide health care to their employees and the cost to the individual with increasing premiums cannot be sustained. The hospital has joined with major employers over the last few years to form Valley Health Alliance, as well as being associated with Western Health Alliance, to try at our local and regional levels to address these issues. The reality is that the shift in medicine is to population health, which in theory can ultimately curtail costs.  By finding out the drivers in cost and addressing those at preventative levels, as well as at best practice treatment guidelines, we have the potential to improve health as well as decrease cost. 

The biggest job in front of the board of directors is to hire a CEO. What does the ultimate candidate look like? Is a local candidate who knows the community and hospital preferable? Addressed above

What do you want voters to know about you? I would like to continue on the board to complete the many initiatives that are currently underway.  They include the CEO search, the adoption of electronic health record, the implementation of the CU rotating specialists to improve patient care and access to those specialties, and the completion of the master facility plan.