Read the Opinions on page 9A of the April 10, 2024 edition of the Star Valley Independent.

Years ago, I started attending the board meetings for the Star Valley Hospital. That’s what it was called about 39 years ago when I started this job.

At the time, I attended the North Lincoln Hospital District portion of the meeting as that was considered the open session. We went through many a meeting where we were concerned about the future of healthcare in Star Valley.

Times were difficult and the hospital was running on a thin margin, if any margin at all. I can recall times when we referenced the phrase, “running in the red.” I knew it was tight because the luncheon board meeting included a bag of hamburger buns, a crockpot full of sloppy joe mix and napkins. As I squeezed into that little boardroom, and sat in a chair in the corner, some gracious board member would put a bun on a napkin, slap a spoonful of sloppy joe mix in the middle of it, wrap it all in another napkin, and hand it back to me. Quarters were that tight, that I was sitting that close to the board. I often wondered as a young 20 something reporter if I was compromising my journalistic standards by taking that sloppy joe, but in those days I was running on a tight family budget, just like the hospital, and everyone was just trying to get by.

When I think about it, I can’t believe the amount my wife Kim and I came to work for at  the Independent in those days. We had a combined salary that would make a teacher’s aide blush with embarrassment. Nonetheless, we came with one 15 month old toddler, and decided this was where we wanted to raise our family. Kim was a graphic artist at the Independent and I was the reporter. I covered a lot of hospital board meetings, in addition to town councils, county commission and others.

As time went on, things went better for the hospital. Things improved with the hospital taking over their own management and Kim and I taking over ownership of the Star Valley Independent. I can recall the hospital board meeting where they finally said, “We’re running in the black.” I shared the feeling of celebration with them at the time. And now, not only have they expanded their existing campus in Afton and Thayne, they have significantly added to the Alpine campus with the addition of an ambulatory (outpatient) surgery center and emergency room.

What a wonderful addition for Alpine. And by the way, during those 39 years, I was in attendance at the first Alpine Town Council meeting and many more along the way.

Congratulations to Star Valley Health and the Town of Alpine. It’s been exciting to watch the growth since those early sloppy joes in that undersized conference room.

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