{"id":90414,"date":"2026-05-14T14:25:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=90414"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:57:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T21:57:45","slug":"uchealth-community-benefits-colorado-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/uchealth-community-benefits-colorado-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Our goal is to take care of as many Coloradans as we can:’ UCHealth invests $1.6 billion in Colorado communities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Jade
Jade Jacquart and her boyfriend, Braden Dunlap, welcomed their new baby, Beauden, in April at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo. Hospital workers are handling a baby boom as rural hospitals stop offering maternity care. Jade and Braden live on a remote ranch in southeastern Colorado, two hours from Pueblo. While the couple has helped their cows give birth, the last thing they wanted was an emergency birth on the side of a lonely road. Careful planning with their midwife led to Beaden\u2019s safe birth. Here, they pose with all of their children. Jade holds Beauden. Braden holds big brother, Raeden, 2. And from left to right: Kynlee Dunlap,11, Landon Jacquart, 12, Sadie Jacquart,10, Kadan Dunlap,19, and Hadlee Dunlap,12. Photo by Sonya Doctorian, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lullaby plays in the hospital in southern Colorado each time a new baby is born.<\/p>\n

Healthcare providers and staffers at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center<\/a> in Pueblo smile as they hear the sweet sound that signals the hope and joy of new life.<\/p>\n

Lullabies have been serenading people more and more these days at Parkview Medical Center. That\u2019s because small towns and rural areas surrounding the hospital have become what\u2019s known as \u201cmaternal care deserts,\u201d meaning it\u2019s become much harder for women in southern Colorado to find prenatal care and to give birth close to their homes. (Read about Jade Jacquart, who had to four-hour roundtrip drives to from her ranch and farm near Eads to get care in Pueblo<\/a>. Her youngest, Beauden, arrived safely in April.)<\/p>\n

The most recent casualty in rural obstetrical care in the region came when managers at Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta had to make the tough decision to stop accepting new pregnant patients in January of 2025 and halted their labor and delivery services as of April 30, 2025.<\/p>\n

Since then, Parkview leaders tracked a nearly 43% increase between 2024 and 2025 in births from patients who live in Otero County, home to the Arkansas Vally hospital.<\/p>\n

The overall number of births at Parkview rose from 1,671 in 2024 to 1,715 in 2025. Nearly one in ten of those patients came from Otero County. Births among those patients increased from 96 in 2024 to 137 in 2025.<\/p>\n

Parkview hospital leaders expect the increase in demand for maternity care to continue this year and moving forward.<\/p>\n

And while maternity care can be tough for hospitals to afford because insurance reimbursements often don\u2019t cover the full cost of care, Parkview\u2019s president, Darrin Smith, said welcoming babies is a cornerstone of Parkview\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud of the care our maternity teams provide to families across our region,\u201d Smith said. \u201cFor many people in Pueblo, Parkview has been part of some of life\u2019s most important moments for generations. Hearing staff members and community members share that they were born here reflects the deep connection this hospital has with the community we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

These days, the midwives and obstetricians who deliver babies at Parkview \u2014 and the nurses who care for moms and newborns there \u2014 are working hard to handle a baby boom of sorts. During a recent 24-hour period this spring, 14 new babies arrived, far more than the four or five who might be born on an average day at the hospital.<\/p>\n

Along with obstetrical care, Parkview medical experts provide many other essential services to community members, including cancer treatments for patients who travel hours to the hospital from as far away as New Mexico or Colorado\u2019s San Luis Valley.<\/p>\n

Four out of five patients at Parkview rely on government health insurance programs at a time when Medicaid \u2014 which covers low-income and disabled people \u2014 is suffering major cuts. Another 3% of patients at Parkview are uninsured.<\/p>\n

Regardless of patients\u2019 insurance status, UCHealth hospitals\u2019 leaders and medical providers are dedicated to caring for people who need help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe serve everyone. We are the safety net of southern Colorado,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Parkview became part of UCHealth in 2023, and the commitment to supporting all patients is stronger than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking care of people who need us is what we\u2019ve always done, and it\u2019s something we\u2019re very proud of,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s our mission. We improve lives, and that\u2019s what we\u2019ll continue to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCHealth\u2019s commitment to serving communities throughout Colorado<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stepping up to serve communities in Pueblo and southeastern Colorado is part of the greater UCHealth mission to support communities throughout Colorado.<\/p>\n

For example, Estes Valley Medical Center<\/a> in Estes Park became part of UCHealth in 2025<\/a>, and the partnership is helping to sustain medical care for residents. In northwestern Colorado, there\u2019s another maternal care desert, and providers from UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center <\/a>stepped up to\u00a0expand care to patients in Craig<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Sherry
Sherry Jones thanks Dr. Robert Hoyer for leading her through treatment for metastatic melanoma. She and her husband, Richard Jones, drove 80 miles from Cheyenne Wells to Prowers Medical Center in Lamar over the past two years for immunotherapy. \u00a0Dr. Hoyer and his oncological outreach team, based in Colorado Springs, stay in local hotels for one week a month to bring cancer care to approximately 130 patients in Lamar and Trinidad. Sherry Jones said, “I would not have continued treatment if I’d had to go to Colorado Springs. It’s about 150 miles, one way. And when you don’t feel good, that’s a long trip.” Photo by Sonya Doctorian, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And a UCHealth team in southern Colorado provides cancer care to patients in communities from Trinidad to Lamar so patients can receive care in their communities rather than driving as much as three hours to receive treatments. Watch a video about Dr. Robert Hoyer and his team<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Overall, during the last fiscal year, UCHealth leaders have invested at least $1.6 billion in community benefit programs, including:<\/p>\n