A Magnet for Excellent People: Featuring a Few of Ours

Over the years, San Luis Valley Health has attracted many excellent employees. These are the stories of a few who have dedicated the majority of their careers to the betterment of San Luis Valley Health and our community.

Ed Kulp

As a Physician’s Assistant for the Family Medicine Department of San Luis Valley Health, Ed Kulp, PA-C sees patients as young as seven days old. He has been practicing family medicine in the San Luis Valley for 16 years and has been with San Luis Valley Health for the past four years. 

“Working here has given me a chance to do something good for the community and the opportunity to raise my kids in that community,” said Kulp. “I enjoy my patient panel and have had the same patients for a number of years.”

Kulp also stated that strong support from the Senior Leadership Team has been a key part of his commitment to San Luis Valley Health.

Fred Casanova

When Fred Casanova finished Radiology School, he came to Adams State to become a coach while working as a technician on the side. However, fate had a different plan for him. 

“Roger Vigil, one of the directors at the hospital, asked if I wanted to try being the Director of Radiology,” said Casanova. “So I did, and 37 years later I’m still here.” 

As the Director of Radiology, Casanova makes sure the workflows smoothly between departments and that everything is scheduled correctly.  

Under Casanova’s leadership, the Radiology Department has implemented a suite of services to serve the residents of the San Luis Valley close to home. Among those services include PET/CT Scans, MRI’s, Ultrasounds, and Digital Mammography.

Terri Salazar

Terri Salazar serves as the Director of Medical Records at San Luis Valley Health. By the end of this month, she will have been with San Luis Valley Health for 28 years.

Salazar started as a transcriptionist and after ten years she completed the rest of her education to become the Director of Medical Records. 

Salazar played a key role in the major project of San Luis Valley Health’s move to electronic health records, an initiative many healthcare organizations are currently implementing.

“I’m still here because I want to help our patients, who are our family members and our community,” said Salazar.

Judy Ortega

A life-long resident of the San Luis Valley, Judy Ortega has been with San Luis Valley Health for 13 years. Her career in healthcare started at a nursing home, where she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She has since spent her entire tenure with San Luis Valley Health as an Administrative Representative.  

Ortega knows and understands the impact that front-line staff has on a patient’s experience and takes the opportunity to make a positive impact seriously.

“I think the key to being successful at San Luis Valley Health is to have a caring heart and treat people the way you would expect to be treated,” said Ortega. “You have to make yourself available, both to patients and to your colleagues.”

It is that dedication to patients that has kept Ortega with the organization for the majority of her career.  

“I love my patients. My patients are my top priority,” she stated.

This article is part of the series “Introducing our Strategy Map: 2014-15” for San Luis Valley Health.  This article focuses on the first of four strategies, Magnet for Excellent People, that San Luis Valley Health will focus on in the upcoming year.