MCHD Board
Montezuma County Hospital District
MISSION: It is the mission of the Montezuma County Hospital District (MCHD) to assure high-quality healthcare facilities for the community, Montezuma County, and the surrounding areas and to provide support and assistance in a manner that is consistent with a high standard of healthcare.
The goal of the Montezuma County Hospital District (MCHD) to be ever-mindful of the community’s health needs and to provide assistance to meet those needs, within the bounds of the District’s ability and the governing statutes and laws as a Colorado Special Tax District.
What does MCHD do?
The Montezuma County Hospital District is the hospital taxing entity for Montezuma County. Taxes are levied through property, sales, and use for the continually-evolving healthcare needs of our community.
On behalf of the citizens of Montezuma County, MCHD is the landlord, property owner, and representative body tasked with utilizing tax revenues received through property, sales, and use taxes approved by the voters to fulfill the mission of the District. They are the leaseholder of the property at 1311 N Mildred Road, leased to Southwest Health System, DBA Southwest Memorial Hospital (SHS) to manage the operations of the health system since 1996.
MCHD focuses on the “physical plant” or facility construction and upgrades and also works in concert with SHS for the short-term and long-term health care needs of the community, while SHS is the operational entity performing the healthcare services for the community.
How can I contact the Board and when do they meet?
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 6pm. During COVID-19, these meetings are televised on Youtube through the joint MCHD/SHS Channel: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/81946382203?pwd=cm1sdlhzQUlEWmZlZUFkZkVVTzdDdz09
Board minutes from the previous meeting and agendas can be found below. For more information, call 970-564-2146
Who is on the Board?
William (Bill) Thompson
Current Vice-Chairperson
Thompson received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Dakota, completed a Master of Arts Degree from Minnesota State University, and did post-graduate work at the University of Montana, Missoula. He has lived in the Cortez community for 34 years and has devoted the majority of those years to an administrative position with the RE-1 School District. He brings to the Board 26 years of working with other boards, interested in what the public thinks prior to final decisions, budget experience, and experience with public building projects.
Fred M. DeWitt
MCHD Board Member
DeWitt has faithfully served on the MCHD Board since 2003. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and has lived in Montezuma County for the past 17 years. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country from 1955 to 1958. He brings to the Board an extensive background in general construction including commercial and industrial interiors, houses, high-rise buildings, hospitals, and all major types of construction. During Mr. DeWitt’s tenure on the MCHD Board, he has served in the capacity of Secretary/Treasurer for 12 years and possesses a wealth of information concerning the workings of special districts in the State of Colorado.
Dean Matthews
Chairperson of MCHD Board
Matthews is the current Chairperson of the Montezuma County Hospital District Board of Directors. He was born in Flagstaff AZ and raised in Cortez. He has lived in the area for 40 years. He finished high school in St. Louis MO and attended Fort Lewis College. He worked on his uncle’s ranch as a young man in the Gunnison area in the summers, then worked as a commercial fisherman in Alaska until starting electrical work.
He has been doing electrical contracting, general contracting and land development for the last 20 years. He believes his knowledge of contracting, developing and construction is an asset to the Board.
Gala Pock
MCHD Board Member
Pock grew up on a farm west of Pleasant View but spent her working years in Oregon.
She holds a B.S. from Oregon College of Education, with a major in Economics & Business Administration. Upon retiring, she moved back to Colorado and resides on what was her grandparents’ homestead. Gala’s working career was in accounting in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and in government; County, and Special Districts. For many years, she was an officer and shop steward in various governmental unions.
Jay Harrell
MCHD Board Member
Harrell was born in Indiana, but his dad was a minister, so he moved from place to place the majority of his life. He is a graduate of Purdue University and went on to join the Army Reserves as a First Lieutenant. He has held various positions throughout his working careers, such as being a hospital administrator, a manager at a chemical treatment plant, a general contractor, a registered sanitarian, an owner of a water treatment company, and a home builder. He has lived in Cortez for the past 6 years.
Rob Dobry
Secretary / Treasurer
Dobry is an experienced Corporate Director with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Mr. Dobry brings experience and skill in Nonprofit Organizations, Technical Documentation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Advertising Project Management, and Philanthropy as well as professional experience in Information Technology.
(970) 565-6666
contact@swhealth.org
Home Office
1311 North Mildred Road
Cortez, CO 81321