1972

After several years of service the Hilltop Nursing Home, located at 235 E. Eaton in Cripple Creek (formerly the St. Nicolas Hospital), closed its doors for the final time as a medical facility. Though at this time the population was at its lowest numbers since gold was discovered, local business leaders were determined to provide modern medical services to the area residents and the visitors who were the staple of the summer tourist economy.

1975

Their months of research, meeting, and planning led the group to determine that the establishment of a Title 32 Special District was the best way to achieve their goal.

1975  -  May 15th

The Service Plan for a Special District was filed with Teller County.

1975  -  November 10th

An Order and Decree was issued officially creating the Southwest Teller County Hospital District.

1975  -  November 13th

The Board of Directors organizational meeting was held.

The first Board of Directors members for SWTCHD were:

Jack Gaffney-Chairman, Muriel Murphy-Secretary & Treasurer and Wayne Mackin, Theodore H. Mueller, and Gregory Robertson. The Nursing Home Administrator was Sue Huffman, Doc Denman was the medical director, and Good Samaritan was the management company.

1976  -  June 8th

First Election Results for Directors and Bonds.

1976  -  August 28th

Groundbreaking for the New Facility.

1977  -  June 19th

Dedication Ceremony for the Hilltop Community Health Care Facility. The facility consisted of the Hilltop Nursing Home and the A.C. Denman Clinic. The nursing home occupied the eastern portion of the building with two main wings/halls offering 60 beds. The western portion, or clinic area, was separated from the nursing home by double doors and had a three-bed unit for emergency care, an xray room, a lab, two exam rooms and two small doctor offices. The building also had an attached garage and covered ambulance dock.

1980's

Community Healthcare Clinic

In the 1980’s Debbie Arseneau, Teller County Public Health Director, was awarded a grant from The Colorado Trust that helped open a clinic staffed by Mike and Mary Szymanski NPs. The two exam rooms and doctor offices were used for this clinic. The clinic provided healthcare for the entire community, not just the nursing home residents. John (Jack) Zajac, MD from Woodland Park directed the nurse practitioners. After Mike and Mary moved, Paul Wartman and other NPs were hired, and other doctors, including Dr. Kanai and Dr. Bedhi, directed medical operations.

1992  -  June

EMS Added to the District

Gaming was approved for Cripple Creek by voters in 1990.  By October of 1991, several casinos opened their doors. The Board of Directors, consisting of John and Lila Stengel, Jo Ann Kincaid, Bonnie Mackin, and others, saw that the all-volunteer staff for emergency services in Cripple Creek could not meet the needs of the coming influx of visitors and new residents into Southern Teller County. The Board voted to include Emergency Medical Services in the Hospital District.  In June 1992 the 24-hour service began operations with one ambulance staffed by one paramedic and one EMT. Candy Shoemaker was hired as the Director. 

1996

Name Changed to Cripple Creek Rehab and Wellness Center

In 1996 the Board signed a contract for management of the nursing home with Continuum Management Company.  During Continuum’s operation the name of the facility was change from Hilltop to Cripple Creek Rehab and Wellness Center (CCRWC). It was planned at that time to do more outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Jim Parker and Dennis Ziefel, Nursing Home Administrator from Continuum, were instrumental in getting a loan to pay off bills in the amount of $413,000. Other NHAs during this time were Jackie Webb, Dee Crowe, and Debbie Ketterman.

Continuum decided that the community health clinic was not profitable, and the management company terminated all staff.  William Schroeder, DO utilized the clinic area to see nursing home residents and patients from the community. Some offices were also rented out to a chiropractic group during this time period.

1999

Mill Levy Approved by Voters

Funding for Hilltop Nursing Home and Emergency Medical Services was primarily through fees charged. The City of Cripple Creek contributed support for EMS. In 1999 voters of the district approved a 1.64 mill levy to support emergency services and help with capital improvements at the nursing home.

2000

CopperSands Management Company

The Board of Directors, including Tish Allen, Jeff Rucker, Barbara Cook, Bill Hack, and Clay Briggs, hired a new management company, CopperSands Management Company. Terri Locke was the Nursing Home Administrator at this time.

​2005

Board of Directors Decides to Manage

On the verge of closing the doors at the nursing home, the Board of Directors, including Jim Vance, Betty Kaufman, Tom Hatton, and Lee Gardner, terminated CopperSands Management Company. Celina Henry, a strong financial NHA, was hired, and the nursing home was put back on its feet financially.

2010  -  November

Voters approved increased Mill Levy

Faced with the possibility of having only one ambulance to cover all of Southern Teller County emergencies, voters in the Southwest Teller County Hospital District approved an increase in the mill levy to keep existing services. The vote in the November 2010 election was 1,048 for and 767 against.  The 2.06 mill increase, dedicated to EMS operations, was expected to raise $470,000 in additional revenue in 2011 for EMS. This increase allows EMS to fully staff two ambulances – each with a paramedic and an Emergency Medical Technician.

2013

Debt Free

Through very focused financial management, and negotiations leading to debt reductions, the Board serving since 2005 achieved a debt-free status for the nursing home, including the retirement of the mortgage.

Service Refocus; Name Changes

In the latter part of 2012, the Board decided to return to the District's original vision, offering residential nursing care to the elderly and disabled. This ended several years of offering in-house addiction treatment and rehab services at the Cripple Creek facility.

That decision once again brought about a name change for the facility. The Board dropped the name Cripple Creek Rehab and Wellness Center and began the year of 2013 operating as the Cripple Creek Care Center.

At the same time, the Board also decided to change the name of the District itself. When formed in 1975, it began as the Southwest Teller County Hospital District. This had become a "grandfathered" name with the State several years ago when the use of "Hospital District" was no longer allowed in new Title 32 District naming regulations.  

It was felt, too, that a name change would also better reflect the expanded mission and actual coverage area of the District. As of 2013, the official recorded name of the District became: "The Southern Teller County Health Services District".

2020

Pandemic

On January 20, 2020, the CDC reported the first confirmed case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States, and the first reported case in Teller County was on March 23, 2020. This was the first pandemic since 1919. The pandemic crippled the healthcare industry, with many healthcare providers getting out of health care.

2022

Care Center Closes

On June 15, 2022, the Cripple Creek Care Center closed permanently due to a staffing shortage of nurses and certified nursing assistants and decreased revenues. By this time, more than 300 nursing homes closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was projected that an additional 400 nursing homes across the Country could go out of business by the end of 2022. The Board of Directors decided to put the Care Center building up for sale, with the intention of using the money from the sale to build an EMS building for Southwest Teller County EMS because they have been housed by the City of Cripple Creek at the CCFD for about the past 30 years. There was no interest in purchasing the building, and it was discovered that even if the building was sold, that would not provide enough money to buy land and build an EMS building. On September 20, 2022, the Board of Directors unanimously approved repurposing the Care Center building to EMS for their EMS quarters. A remodel of the building was started at this time.

2023

Bay Construction

In January 2023, an RFP (request for proposal) was put out for the construction of the bays to house the ambulances. A construction company was selected and the process of starting the project began.

June 24th, 2023

Building Dedication

Renamed the building to the "JAMES VANCE CENTER FOR EMS EXCELLENCE".