Valley View Named Among Top Rural Hospitals in the Nation for 2025
Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs has been recognized as one of the top rural and community hospitals in the country, a VVH news release states.
The hospital was named among the 2025 Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. It was also named a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital by the National Rural Health Association.
This recognition is based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance Index, which evaluates hospitals using publicly available data. The National Rural Health Association’s Top 20 list is determined by factors such as inpatient and outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient experience, cost, charge and finance.
“Valley View is proud of the efforts of its physicians and staff, whose dedication has made this achievement possible,” CEO Brian Murphy said in the news release. “The recognition as a top rural and community hospital further reflects our commitment to providing a patient-centric approach guided by values such as safety, quality and community.”
Valley View previously received the Top 100 recognition in 2021. In 2024, it also earned a Performance Leadership Award from Chartis for top-quartile performance in outcomes among rural hospitals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave the hospital a five-star rating for overall hospital quality that same year.
Chief Community Relations Officer Stacey Gavrell said the recognition validates the hospital’s commitment to providing quality care.
“We all come to work every single day, working to do the right thing for our patients and community,” Gavrell told the Post Independent. “For an independent healthcare organization in rural Glenwood Springs to be on a list like this, it’s just a fantastic validation of what we do every day and reflection of the amazing people who do it.”
Being in the Top 20 Rural and Community Hospitals is an even greater honor, Gavrell said.
“You take that top 100 and you give it more focus to just 20, and we’re in that group of 20,” Gavrell said. “That is also a reason to celebrate.”
The recognition reflects not only the work of doctors and nurses but also the entire hospital team, she said.
“We’re an organization that thrives on people,” Gavrell said. “It really reflects our people, whether it’s our doctors, our nurses, human resources, environmental services, but also the fact that people in our community are choosing Valley View for their care.”
Gavrell said the hospital’s independent status allows it to make local decisions that best serve the community.
“We’re really committed to retaining our independence,” Gavrell said. “A lot of independent healthcare organizations are being acquired by larger corporate systems, and we’re working hard to maintain our independence because we can make decisions locally that advance our work and focus, which is to provide the highest quality patient care here.”
Valley View’s staff and physicians have played a key role in earning national recognition, she said.
“These recognitions are a reflection of their hard work and dedication,” Gavrell said. “Because of who we are and the people we have here, we’ve consistently pushed the envelope for the level of care that we can provide.”
Gavrell said the recognition also reassures residents that high-quality care is available locally.
“My hope would be that this validates to everyone in our community that they can stay close to home for their care,” Gavrell said. “They don’t have to go to a big city or academic medical center. They can stay close to their family and friends and receive the best care here.”
Beyond providing healthcare services, Valley View is involved in the community through programs such as high school internships and safety fairs.
“We work super collaboratively with the high schools and do the certified athletic trainer program,” Gavrell said. “We want to continue those partnerships to keep our community healthy.”
Gavrell said maintaining high-quality care as an independent, not-for-profit hospital requires dedication and community support.
“We’re making sure that we’re not only providing quality care, but efficient care,” Gavrell said. “We’ve also got an amazing community. We have people making philanthropic gifts to help us purchase new equipment and provide additional services, and that makes a huge difference.”
By: Taylor CramerI Post Independent I March 18, 2025