| Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center | |
|---|---|
| Salida Hospital District | |
 The hospital's entrance. | |
  The hospital's location in Colorado. | |
| Geography | |
| Location | 1000 Rush Drive Salida, Chaffee County, Colorado, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°32′34″N106°0′30″W / 38.54278°N 106.00833°W |
| Organization | |
| Care system | Public regional healthcare system |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Type | Health Service District |
| Affiliated university | None |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Level IV trauma center |
| Beds | 25 |
| Helipad | Yes |
| History | |
| Opened | 1885 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Lists | Hospitals in Colorado |
The Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center may refer to a regional hospital in Salida, Colorado, or the Colorado Health Service District and health system called Salida Hospital District.
Contents
The Salida Hospital District dba Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is one of Colorado's Special Districts defined by Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the "Special District Act". [1] A special district is a form of local government granted authority by state law to provide a wide range of services. [2] Health Service Districts were clarified in 1996 legislature House Bill 96-1275 which amended the Colorado Special District Act to allow health service districts to provide health services not clearly linked with a physical facility and authority to contract or work cooperatively with other healthcare providers. [3] Their authority to operate and maintain health-related facilities not limited to hospitals, community clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing care facilities was unchanged. [4] This 1996 update may have been partially in response to a lawsuit against the Poudre Health Service District. [5] The Colorado legislature significantly expanded the scope and flexibility of health service districts in Colorado allowing them to provide a wide range of health services to their communities without the constraint of operating physical facilities for each service offered.
The Salida Hospital District was formed in 1976, and as of 1989 it is dba Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center. [6] The Salida Hospital District covers all of Chaffee county and parts of Fremont and Saguache counties. [7] The Salida Hospital District is a health system as it also operates several facilities outside of its geographical district including the Custer County Health Center. [8] Overall the estimated population in the special district itself is 40,000 with an additional 20,000 people living in the rural areas proximal to facilities operated by the Salida Hospital District. [9]
The Salida Hospital District operates a critical access hospital, six primary care clinics, multiple subspecialty clinics, an outpatient rehabilitation center, and two pharmacies.
