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Southwest Health System Board of Directors

shirley jones shs board

Shirley Jones

Chairperson

gentry jeanine CEO

Susan Hodgdon

Vice-Chairperson

dan valverde shs board

Dan Valverde

Director

Photo of SHS Board Member Jay Wood

Jay Wood

Board Member

photo of Evelyn who is a member of the Southwest Memorial Hospital Foundation

Evelyn Quigley

Board Member

Photo of SHS Board Member Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers

Board Member

Photo of SHS Board Member Eric Croke

Eric Croke

Board Member

Shirley Jones

Shirley Jones

Chairperson

Shirley is a Montezuma County native where she graduated from Montezuma Cortez High School. She spent her early career training racehorses with her husband in Arizona and New Mexico before returning to college. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Accounting from Fort Lewis College. Shirley has over 20 years of nonprofit accounting experience and is currently Region 9 Economic Development’s Comptroller.

Shirley has strong ties to the hospital with her mother retiring from SW Memorial Hospital after 40 years and numerous friends & family being employed by the hospital over the years.  She understands the important role the hospital plays in our community’s economic success. She believes her financial knowledge and her commitment to the hospital’s success is an asset to the Board.

Susan Hodgdon

Susan Hodgdon

Vice-Chairperson

There are several things I enjoy and find fulfilling about being a Board Member. I often hear, and feel that the work we do as Board members is vital to the achieving mission of the Hospital.  That was what attracted me to join the Board. I also find it rewarding to serve the community in a variety of ways, working with my fellow Board members to meet the needs of the community.  

I moved here in 2018 and initially, my goal was to learn about the community and the area, so I thought about the skills that felt I had to offer and how best to apply those given the needs of the community. In speaking with people, I met, as well as my family, several options became clear, including joining this Board. I found the role of being a Board member a natural fit, given over ten years of experience working with boards, but never having worked in healthcare previously, there was much that I knew I needed to learn, especially in this new setting.   

Before Covid, I enjoyed attending a variety of activities offered at the Cortez Rec Center. I continue to walk as much as possible, whenever I can. I live in Dolores, so there are lots of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. I’m active with other organizations, including the local Friends of the Library in Dolores, the Cancer Alliance Board, and the Dolores Book Club. I moved here to be closer to my family, so whenever possible, I enjoy time with them. 

I’ve lived in the 4 Corners area for 4 years. My vocation prior to retiring I was as an educator, last of all as a school superintendent. I taught all grade levels, from pre-school to teaching graduate and post-graduate students as adjunct faculty at Keene State College in NH. I have 30 plus years of experience.

Dan Valverde

Dan Valverde

Director

I am a retired pharmacist having spent forty-seven years in that profession. I began my pharmacy career at University Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I worked as staff pharmacist for the hospital and poison center, inpatient pharmacy supervisor, and then chief pharmacist at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Center.

I moved from Albuquerque in 2000 after our three children had finished high school and first worked a year at the Northern Navajo Medical Center. I then took a position as pharmacy manager at Walmart in Cortez after realizing that the drive to Shiprock was taking ten hours a week out of my life. My wife and I have lived in the Dolores area for twenty-two years.

My wife Yvonne and I moved to this area because Albuquerque had become so big and the gang and drug problem had become unbearable. At that time, we moved here with five Siberian huskies. I enjoyed dog sledding, sailing, fly fishing, leather working, and exploring this area. In 2007 my daughter had premature twins while she and her husband were in graduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Yvonne and I moved to Bloomington in 2008 for two years and helped take care of the twins while our daughter and son-in-law finished graduate school. I was able to transfer to the Bloomington Walmart and on my day’s off we would explore with our infant grandchildren what the Indiana area had to offer.

The twins are now fourteen going on fifteen. Our oldest son in Albuquerque has two daughters and our youngest son in Connecticut has a son and a daughter. Spending time with our grandchildren is one of the greatest joys in our lives.

While I was working at Walmart in Cortez I was able to interact closely with many of the people in the community. I realized that so many of these people were reluctant to obtain healthcare in our local hospital because of unfounded notions about the hospital. I joined the board in an attempt to change this perception. I feel that by giving back to the community, working with my fellow board members and the staff at the hospital, we can work together to make this hospital become one of the best healthcare facilities in the 4 corners area.

Jay Wood

Jay Wood

Board Member

Jay Wood is a seasoned professional in nonprofit management and community advocacy, renowned for his deep commitment to improving health and legal services for underprivileged and vulnerable populations. As a current member of the Board of Directors at Southwest Memorial Hospital, Jay brings a wealth of experience that is integral to his role.

In his present capacity as the Diversion Director/Project Director for the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Jay continues to make significant contributions to community welfare and legal advocacy. This role highlights his ongoing dedication to public service and legal justice.

Before joining the DA’s office, Jay served as the Executive Director of Southwest HealthNet in Cortez, Colorado. His work prior to moving to Colorado was equally impactful, as the Director of the Missouri State Legal Services Center working to promote legal aid services to the poor and Executive Director of Missouri KidsFirst, where he provided vital support and guidance through a statewide network of Child Advocacy Centers and led Prevent Child Abuse Missouri.  His work also included serving as the Statewide Chair of the Kids Count Data Book and Chair of the State Prevention Partners made up of State Agency Directors working with prevention issues in Missouri.

Jay’s academic achievements include a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Central Missouri and a Bachelor of Science in History from Missouri Western State University. His deep-rooted commitment to community service is evident in his past leadership roles, such as the Past Chairman of the Board for the United Way of Southwest Colorado, Past President of the ARC of Southwest Colorado, Past President of the Violence Prevention Coalition of Durango, Chair of the Victims Compensation Board in Montezuma County and President of the Southwest Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Demonstrating his adaptability and dedication to supporting his loved ones, Jay relocated to Colorado to be with his wife, Rose, who took on the significant role of Executive Director at the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center. This move underscored his support for Rose’s career and enabled him to continue his meaningful work in a new community.

Jay’s extensive experience, combined with his dedication to community health, legal services, and family, make him an invaluable asset to the Southwest Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. His expertise, leadership, and personal integrity are poised to make a significant impact on the hospital’s mission to deliver top-tier healthcare services.

Evelyn Quigley

Evelyn Quigley

Board Member

Hello!  My name is Evelyn Quigley, and I am a new member of the SHS Board.  My husband, Ken, and I relocated here in 2016 from Texas to enjoy life in a small rural community in the mountains.  My husband and I enjoy camping and living in a small, personable community.    We have 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and a plethora of grand animals. My personal hobbies are reading, gardening, baking, and spending time with my beautiful grandchildren.

I have served in a nursing capacity for 45 years as a critical care nurse and then transitioned into leadership positions.  Prior to moving to Cortez, I worked for a health care institution in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico which serviced a 62-county area with a population of 1.2 million people.  After leaving this institution to return to bedside nursing, I developed a love and passion for hospice which is my area of healthcare service now and for several years prior to moving here.

I’m excited to be a participant on the SHS Board and to be an invested community member who understands healthcare and the needs of our community and community members.  It’s important to me that our community members are heard and that we balance services and needs to positively impact the health and well-being of our community and our hospital services.  I hope to have a positive impact in my role so that our community continues to thrive.

Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers

Board Member

I am a retired general surgeon.  Between 2005 and 2018 I worked in the Four Corners, between Shiprock and Blanding.  I went to the big public meeting in the ambulance garage, when it looked like the birthing center might be closed, and there was general concern that several of our health care providers were leaving.  I then suggested to some people I knew that I might be interested is serving on the hospital board, and they encouraged me to do so.

I grew up in West Virginia and graduated from high school in 1966.  I did three semesters at West Virginia University and then volunteered for the draft.  I served two years in the army, one of those years being in Viet Nam.

After discharge I went back to college and graduated in 1973.  I graduated from medical school at Stony Brook, New York, in 1976.  I went back to West Virginia and completed a surgical residency at the Charleston Area Medical Center.

I practiced a few years in Charleston and then moved to northern Montana, where I worked for a few decades.

Since moving to Cortez I have been an active volunteer for The Bridge and The League of Women Voters.  I enjoy reading, bird watching and other outdoor activities, and travel.  Roxanne and I have four children and three grandchildren.  

Eric Croke

Eric Croke

Board Member

My educational growth and milestones include graduating from Dolores High in 1980. The one standout accomplishment I recall from that time was earning my license as an Emergency Medical Technician at the age of seventeen through the dedicated teaching of Chuck Melvin. I’m not sure I realized it at the time, but he showed me what it meant to care for and serve others.

I took that desire for service and caring for others into the Army at the age of eighteen and enlisted as a Patient Care Specialist with a Jump School option. It was during these initial three years of service that the Holy Spirit grabbed hold of me revealed God’s will in my life and brought me fully into the service of others.

Along the way, I was blessed with a loving, inspiring, and supportive wife and two sons. I have been with Opal for almost 40 years now and our two accomplished sons and loving daughters-in-law have given us three unique, talented, and amazing grandchildren.

Our career in the Army culminated in 2016 when I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving ten years as an enlisted soldier in the medical field and twentyseven years as a commissioned officer in the Engineering field. During my time of military service, I had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the most caring people around the globe; across many cultural, professional, and religious backgrounds. I have come to learn that people really aren’t that different wherever you go.

Throughout my professional career, I have been afforded many educational and development opportunities including serving in command and staff roles at all levels, graduating from the Army Command and General Staff College, completing my Bachelor’s Degree, and earning a Masters’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus on leadership and organizational development.

When it came time to “retire” we decided to return to this area to be near family and this magnificent area. Not being done with me yet, God led me into teaching. I have spent the last six years teaching fourth grade, fifth grade and now Physical Education for kindergarten through fifth grade.

Joining the SHS board seemed like a natural calling for this stage of my life.

My motivation to join the SHS board is simple. I want to help create an environment where medical professionals can follow their calling to heal and promote healthy living in order to extend the lifespan and health span of their patients. I believe that the key to this is continuity of care and continued professional development. To accomplish this, I believe, the board must ensure we are recruiting a team of professionals who show a long term commitment to our community and work together to retain them. I believe retention is a matter of eliminating burnout by creating an environment of reasonable patient workload, free from as many administrative and financial burdens as possible.

Together I believe we can create a comprehensive medical system our community can be confident in and proud of. My goal is to keep our health care in our community for our community.

SHS Board Committees

Executive Committee

Shirley Jones, Chairperson
Susan Hodgdon, Vice-Chairperson
Dan Valverde, Secretary-Treasurer

Provider Recruiting, Contracting, and Retention Committee (PRCRC)

Eric Croke
Jim Rogers
Jay Wood

Jenny Gero, MD, Chair
CEO, CFO, COS, Med Staff Dir, HR Dir

Quality Committee

Susan Hodgdon
Evelyn Quigley

Quality Director, CNO, Provider, & Risk Mgr

Joint Conference Committee

Executive Committee
Medical Executive Committee
CEO
CNO

Finance Committee

Dan Valverde, Chair
Shirley Jones
Jay Wood

Nominating Committee/Board Development

Dan Valverde, Chair
Susan Hodgdon
Jim Rogers
CEO, Rob Dobry (MCHD Board), Amanda Mullen, MD (MEC), Abby Nuetzel (Foundation), Marc Meyer, AnnMarie Crane (CNO appt), Mary Dodd (FOH)

Compliance Committee (Compliance Charter approved by BOD at 12/18/23 Meeting) 

Evelyn Quigley
Compliance Mgr, CEO, CFO, CNO, CHRO, CIO, SMG Clinical Operations, Contracts Admin, Physician Rep, and Ad hoc members as appropriate

Capital Infrastructure Committee (Restated Lease Section 5.7.)

Eric Croke, SHS
Brandon Johnson MCHD
Plant Operations Dir., CEO, George Augustini w/ Mazzetti

Southwest Health System Reports

Here you will find reports and information from the Southwest Health System and SHS Board meetings.

Contact the Board

Because we are unable to offer any medical advice, we ask that you do not submit medical questions or concerns about particular health conditions. Please contact your medical provider directly for medical advice.

southwest health system

(970) 565-6666

contact@swhealth.org

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1311 North Mildred Road

Cortez, CO 81321

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