First UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center update shows growing patient volumes and expanded care options
Annual update highlights a 28% increase in surgeries, a 17% increase in emergency visits and new services including 24/7 tele-stroke coverage and biobank access
Summary
UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center expanded services and experienced increased patient volumes during its first seven months as part of UCHealth. The first annual community update highlights growth in patient volumes. Expanded services include virtual care, behavioral health, 24/7 tele-stroke coverage and access to genetic testing through the UCHealth biobank.
Key Facts
- The update, covering the first seven months of the hospital’s affiliation with UCHealth, through June 30, 2026, the end of UCHealth’s fiscal year.
- Surgery volumes, emergency department and clinic visits have increased since December 2025
- The hospital’s annual operating loss was reduced from $3.8 million to $1.4 million and UCHealth paid off $10 million in hospital debt.
Estes Park, Colo. (October 26, 2026) - UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center (EVMC) introduced new services and saw notable increases in patient volume at the hospital in the months after it joined the UCHealth system, the hospital’s first annual update shows.
The update for the community is part of the affiliation agreement that joined Estes Park Health with UCHealth in December 2025. It covers the first seven months of operations, through June 30, 2026, the end of UCHealth’s fiscal year.
Vern Carda, president of EVMC, and Kevin Unger, president and CEO of the UCHealth Northern Colorado region, reported that the hospital and clinics saw growth in key areas, including a 28% increase in surgeries, a 17% increase in emergency department visits, and expanded access to virtual care.
Financial support strengthens long-term sustainability
EVMC’s $3.8 million annual operating loss was reduced to $1.4 million - or a negative 4.5% margin - thanks to $2.5 million in Park Hospital District funding. UCHealth paid off Estes Park Health’s $10 million debt upon affiliation.
Carda and Unger noted EVMC has focused on aligning services with community needs while strengthening long‑term sustainability. This includes adjusting surgical hours to match current volume, increasing clinical staffing, expanding behavioral health services, and adding more radiology appointments.
New advanced services brought to EVMC include 24/7 tele-stroke coverage, providing rapid virtual neurological expertise for stroke diagnosis and treatment. The hospital also joined UCHealth’s Biobank, a partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz that supports genetic research and helps providers personalize care and medication decisions based on individual risk factors.
Rural hospitals face growing financial pressures
EVMC, like many rural hospitals across Colorado, faces significant challenges as federal funding changes take effect, including reductions to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts are expected to increase the number of uninsured patients and uncompensated care. Rural hospitals are particularly vulnerable, with more than 80% already operating on unsustainable margins, according to the Colorado Hospital Association, but EVMC is made stronger by its affiliation with UCHealth.
“EVMC now has the resources and support of a larger health system, strengthened by talented employees and strong community support,” said Carda and Unger in the 2026 update. “The challenges ahead are real, but so is our commitment to this community.”
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a nationally recognized nonprofit health system that pushes the boundaries of medicine through advanced treatments and clinical trials, improving health through innovation and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. Investing $1.6 billion in community benefits including $762 million in uncompensated and charity care each year, UCHealth is Colorado’s largest Medicaid provider and dedicated to the communities it serves. With the region’s only adult academic medical center, University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz campus, UCHealth includes 38,000 employees, 15 acute-care hospitals and thousands of physicians across Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.