Franchesca Esplin appointed to vacant Delta School Board seat
The Delta County School Board has appointed a new member, following the resignation of Tony Bohling resigned in April. The board selected Franchesca Esplin as the new member representing District 2. Esplin wrote in her candidate letter that she is the parent of a freshman at Delta High School and a fifth grader at Garnet Mesa Elementary, and that she believes “strong schools are built through collaboration, communication, and a shared vision for success.” In a social media post, Esplin said that she is “very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the school board and to work on behalf of the students, staff, and community members.”
Delta School Board declines to renew contract with school-adjacent clinic
The Delta County School Board voted not to renew A Kidz Clinic, a nonprofit providing medical services for children and families in Delta County on a sliding scale. Established in 2014 as a 501(c)(3), it has offered local students affordable sports physicals, dental hygiene services, mental health support, and other care. Several residents expressed concern regarding the decision during public comment, emphasizing the services the clinic has provided over the last twelve years. KVNF will have more on this story later this week.
Paonia Town Administrator Stefen Wynn stepping away from role
Paonia Town Administrator Stefen Wynn informed trustees on May 8 that he would not renew his contract. He will have served three years by the time his term ends on July 11.
According to the High Country Spotlight, Wynn received high ratings from the previous town board for his work on the budget and for lining up millions of dollars in grants and low-interest loans for long-delayed infrastructure projects. However, he recently came under fire for serving dual roles as treasurer and administrator, and for approving a Verkada surveillance/security system, among other critiques. The newly constituted board is canceling the surveillance contract, resulting in a $53,000 loss to the town.
Alongside the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado City and County Management Association, the town is now searching for an interim administrator. A request for quotes will also soon be released to find a firm that will help with the search for a new, permanent administrator.
Bill aimed at helping rural hospitals passes Colorado Legislature
House District 54 Representative Matt Soper of Delta has wrapped up his final term in the Colorado Legislature with the unanimous passage of his last bill, a measure aimed at helping rural hospitals stay financially afloat.
The Montrose Daily Press reports that the new law, House Bill 1432, replaces Colorado’s Hospital Transformation Program, or HTP, with a different quality incentive system known as HQIP.
Soper, who also serves as chairman of the Delta Health Board, says the previous program burdened rural hospitals with costly reporting requirements tied to Medicaid funding. According to Soper, many hospitals spent hundreds of thousands of dollars — and in some cases more than a million — trying to meet complex data and performance benchmarks.
Health care leaders say rural facilities often struggled because they were held to standards similar to larger urban hospital systems, despite having fewer staff and resources. Delta Health officials say as much as 30 percent of the hospital’s supplemental Medicaid funding depended on HTP performance.
State health officials defend the program, citing gains in opioid-alternative prescribing, maternal mental health screenings, pediatric depression screenings, and social-needs assessments over its first three years.
Still, lawmakers, hospital leaders, and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing ultimately agreed to replace the program. Under the new law, oversight shifts to the CHASE Board, a group of public and private health care stakeholders tasked with creating more practical and nationally aligned quality measures.
Supporters say the change should reduce administrative burdens while continuing to improve patient care. However, rural health advocates warn that looming federal Medicaid funding cuts remain a much larger financial threat to hospitals across Colorado.
Residents of the Mountain West face high risk of skin cancer
May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and health professionals are reminding people to protect themselves from harmful UV exposure. The Rocky Mountain West has some of the highest melanoma rates in the country; Colorado is one of the 10 states with the highest death rates for melanoma. Rocky Mountain Community Radio's Maeve Conran spoke with Dr. Sapna Patel, a medical oncologist with the University of Colorado to find out more.
