Yampa Valley Medical Associates to join UCHealth

Steamboat Springs, Colo. (July 1, 2025) – After serving the Yampa Valley for 25 years as an independent practice, the partners of Yampa Valley Medical Associates (YVMA) have decided to join UCHealth. They are confident UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center (YVMC) will continue their legacy of providing comprehensive, quality primary care for their patients.

The partners – Dr. Brian Harrington, family medicine; Dr. Jennifer Kempers, internal medicine; and Julia von Allmen, PA-C, family medicine – will continue caring for patients locally, and are hopeful the other YVMA providers and staff will join them as part of UCHealth.

“YVMA was founded in 2000 with the goal to provide full-service primary care to patients in the Yampa Valley, and we’ve done that,” said Kempers. “We’ve watched in recent years how primary care services have shifted across the nation with reimbursement challenges and difficulties recruiting providers and staff. It’s taken time for those changes to reach us locally, but they have. We’ve been fortunate to partner with YVMC and UCHealth over the years, and we are grateful for this next chapter with them.”

“Health research has long documented that a strong primary care base is essential for healthy communities. My partners and I remain committed to delivering such high quality care to our patients,” said Harrington. “Unfortunately, there is inadequate funding for primary care, and we have struggled to recruit providers and retain staff in a community with a high cost of living. Joining UCHealth provides us the opportunity and resources to continue serving our community with a partner who shares our values. We look forward to continuing the same experience for our patients.”

YVMA will work with YVMC over the coming months to ensure a coordinated transition. UCHealth Primary Care – Steamboat Springs will open on October 1. YVMA began using Epic, UCHealth’s electronic medical record in 2019, so patient records will remain in the same system, giving the providers continued access. Patients will maintain access to their personal health records through My Health Connection. Current appointments with YVMA providers that are scheduled after the Oct. 1 transition will remain as scheduled with the existing provider.

“We are grateful for this partnership as it will provide our patients and community with continued access to trusted primary care without interruption for years to come,” said von Allmen. “We are committed not only to the health of our patients but this entire valley that we all call home.”

“We’re excited to welcome YVMA’s providers and staff into the UCHealth family,” said Soniya Fidler, president of YVMC. “Combined, they have over 50 years of primary care experience that is trusted by so many in this community. Patients can continue seeing their primary care team, now with the support and connectivity of UCHealth.”

Note: photo includes Julia von Allmen, PA-C, family medicine; Soniya Fidler, president, UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center; Dr. Jennifer Kempers, internal medicine; and Dr. Brian Harrington, family medicine.