The West Custer County Hospital District Board of Directors oversees Custer County Medical Center and Custer County Emergency Medical Services, our funding and our communities’ health concerns. These services comprise key roles for the Hospital District, which is a special tax district formed by the voters of Custer County to serve our county, our region and our visitors. We provide a long list of services, host visiting providers and promote community wellness.

The district dates to Jan. 1, 1988, following its approval by the county’s voters. At the time, it acquired the assets and duties of the nonprofit Custer County Medical Association, which itself formed in 1970, with the goal of establishing a medical office to support a physician. Initially, the district’s rural clinic was in a building at the corner of Rosita and 5th streets in Westcliffe. By May 2000, the Hospital District had completed our Medical Center at 704 Edwards Avenue.

The district has taxing authority, collecting a total of 7.908 mils in property taxes, with 3 mils restricted to supporting Emergency Medical Services. Other revenues come from fees and reimbursements.

Board members serve staggered three-year terms, with elections in May. The next election is set for May 5, 2020, when three of five director terms will expire. Self-nomination forms – available from Barry Keene, the board’s designated election official at 719-783-0466 – must be received by the district no later than 5 p.m. March 20, 2020. Election results will post to this website.

The board meets from 3 to 5 p.m. the last Thursday of each month in the conference room of our Medical Center. You can find minutes and agendas linked below on this page, along with other public documents, information about our board members and their contact information.

Board of Directors

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Bob Tobin, Chairman
Bob Tobin serves as chairman of the West Custer County Hospital District board of directors and has been involved in the community since moving to Custer County in late 2006. Bob’s work background includes 37 years with Merrill Lynch financial services. He and his wife, Renee, have four grown children living around the country, from Alaska to Massachusetts. Bob and Renee volunteer with the Garden Club, the West Custer County Library, Altitude Community Fitness, Custer County Schools and High Country Recycling.
Email Bob: rftobin@msn.com
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Janny Candelaria, Secretary
Janny Candelaria has lived in Custer County more than 22 years and been involved with Custer County EMS and Medical Center for most of that time. Janny was a city girl transplanted to the middle of nowhere in Centennial Ranch. She figured she had better learn how to take care of herself and others. In rapid succession, she became a first responder, then an EMT and finally an advanced-life-support provider. Janny has worked in health care since age 18, as a phlebotomist during college and later as a respiratory therapist. She also taught 12 years at Pueblo Community College in the Critical Care Department. She and husband, Gene, have been married 27 years and have four grandchildren.
Email Janny: jannycan2@hughes.net
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Ann Evans, Treasurer
Ann Evans is a retired hospital administrator. She served as the vice president and chief nursing officer for Lutheran Medical Center in Wheatridge, CO, and as chief clinical officer for Kindred Denver.
Ann holds master's degrees in nursing and business from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Florida State University and began her career in health care in 1971 as a staff nurse for a Colorado Springs hospital. Her journey then took her to Alaska for 12 years, where she served as a flight nurse, director of an air medical transport program and an instructor for the University of Alaska at Anchorage. She then spent 18 years in Florida in several health care leadership positions, including executive director and chief nursing officer of Tallahassee Memorial Heart and Vascular Institute.
Ann has been active in nursing organizations throughout her career, serving as the president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nursing in 1990. She was a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and the American Heart Association. Ann serves as the treasurer and board member of the Cloud Foundation, dedicated to protecting wild horses and burros in the West. She is a director for the DAISY Foundation, an international organization recognizing nursing excellence. Ann lives in the valley with her dog, Red, and eight mustangs.
Email Ann: evansann1981@gmail.com
Bob Weisenbach
Bob Weisenbach, Director
Bob Weisenbach, an Air Force veteran, worked 10 years for major corporations before spending another decade with business turnarounds and startups, including running his own small business. He owned a bed and breakfast inn in Boulder from 1990 to 2014, and served as a director for the Boulder Hotel and Motel Association, the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association and the Colorado Tourism Board. From 2008 to 2018, he volunteered on the Custer County Tourism board, retiring as chairman. He was first appointed as a director for the West Custer County Hospital District and then ran successfully in 2018 to earn a four-year term on the board. Bob was born in Akron, Ohio, and earned his bachelor degree from Denison University. He also holds a master of business administration degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Email Bob: rbweisenbach@gmail.com
Tom Shepard
Tom Shepard, Director
Tom Shepard has had a long career in emergency/acute care and occupational medicine as physician assistant – among the first in Colorado. His roles have ranged from working in special-, acute- and occupational-care clinics to serving as a medical adviser for a fire/rescue squad and ambulance service, and as a medical director for hard-rock mining and milling operations on the Continental Divide. He was clinical director of the Colorado state workers’ compensation fund, Pinnacol Assurance, and worked with the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation on evidence-based treatment guidelines for workplace injuries and occupational diseases. He worked with family physicians and two Denver-area hospitals to develop acute care and walk-in services in Evergreen, resulting in a 24/7 joint venture.
Tom and his wife, Dee, moved to rural Westcliffe in 2003. They enjoy life in the Wet Mountain Valley, as well as family in Virginia, North Carolina and Colorado. Both volunteer with the Colorado Reserve Medical Corps and Custer County Public Health. He was appointed to WCCHD Board in 2019.
Email Tom: Tom.shepard18@gmail.com

Documents

West Custer County Hospital District Documents
Audits
Board Documents