Well, this will be an interesting venture for me, entering the world of Blogging. My daughters have gotten me up to speed with texting, (make sure you purchase unlimited texting for teenage daughters!!!) Facebook and MySpace. I am even set up to download streaming movies to my new Blue-Ray DVD players. But Blogging……Taking the plunge today.

This past Friday I had the privilege of attending the Grand Opening of the new Maverick Center at Mesa State College. What an amazing facility! It contains 14 classrooms, a state-of-the-art natatorium swimming pool, a running loop, a recreation center packed with gym equipment, a human performance lab to test fitness, and other amenities.

We should all feel very fortunate to have such a facility in our Community. As a Triathlete/Swimmer I am excited to have the finest swimming pools on the Western slope directly across the street from our hospital. No more excuses…time to take another plunge and get my butt in the pool!!!

One of the highlights of the evening was the dedication of the Copeland Family Athletic Training Room. This honor was bestowed on Dr. Larry Copeland and his family for their years of dedicated service to the athletic department of Mesa State. The entire Copeland family continues to work diligently to support and advance sports medicine, student athletics and the Athletic Department at Mesa State. Congratulations Larry Copeland!

The new Hamilton Recreation Center was also announced at the Maverick Center dedication. This Center is named after Jamie Hamilton, president and CEO of Home Loan. In his second job he works for $1 a year as the college’s athletic director. Jamie served for many years on the Community Hospital Board of Trustees and is currently serving on the Hospital’s Foundation Board. Congratulations to you also Jamie!

Today I would like to also leave you with some thoughts on the Grand Valley’s recent notoriety as a national leader in low cost, high quality care. One of the elements not often mentioned in this discussion regarding quality and affordability is the role healthy competition plays. Having more than one hospital in a community is a valuable asset. Community Hospital has long been the local leader for affordable health services and we remain committed to providing our community a great value for their healthcare dollars.

Soon you and your family will be able to access pricing for many of the most common services that we provide at Community Hospital on our web site. For the first time you will be able to easily compare prices. With quality not a question, I encourage you to look for the best value for your healthcare dollars. We think this service will be extremely useful and valuable for all of our patients and physicians.

As you review the prices and compare our costs, you will find that our charges are generally 20 percent less than other Grand Valley providers. We consistently save the Medicare program 11% while providing quality care for Medicare patients and we continue to be a leader in patient satisfaction scores. Become an informed consumer visit these web sites to compare: www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, http://www.qualitycheck.org

The Bottom Line: If keeping healthcare costs in check is important to you and your family, then Community Hospital is a GREAT CHOICE! – Chris Thomas