Telluride Med Center: Chris Darnell Named CEO!

10 Aug Telluride Med Center: Chris Darnell Named CEO!

The Telluride Hospital District Board of Directors announced that Chris Darnell has accepted the position of CEO of Telluride Regional Medical Center, effective September 26, 2022. Chris has more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience and brings expertise in operations, finance, and provider and community relations.

Go here for more on the Telluride Med Center and Hospital District.

Chris Darnell

Chris Darnell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, a Master’s in Health Sciences, and a doctorate in Health Administration. Early in his career, he held leadership positions at the Medical University of South Carolina, a leading academic medical center located in South Carolina, and East Cooper Medical Center, part of a national for-profit hospital system. He then worked at Bozeman Health in Montana, where he was the Hospital Administrator at Big Sky Medical Center. More recently, Chris was the Vice President of Operations at Livingston Healthcare, which has been recognized as a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital.

Darnell and his wife, Kelly, are the proud parents of their daughter, Sully, and their son, Finn. They are excited to embrace all that Telluride has to offer

”I am humbled and thrilled to join Telluride Regional Medical Center,” said Darnell. “What an incredible team and an amazing community. I look forward to serving and making a difference in the lives of others.” 

Darnell will assume the CEO position from Beverly Schulman, who has been serving as the medical center’s Interim CEO for the past 10 months. Schulman has agreed to stay on board as long as necessary to assure a smooth transition.

“We are confident that Chris is the right person to steer the ship as we head toward our own Critical Access Hospital in the next few years,” said Paul Reich, Telluride Hospital District Board Chair. “We look forward to working with Chris to meet the ever-expanding healthcare needs of our community. We cannot thank Bev enough for her expertise and her calm, thoughtful leadership over the past several months. We have been so fortunate to have her here during a challenging period for our staff and patients.”

Telluride Regional Medical Center provides San Miguel County with a full spectrum of primary care services, including behavioral health and the Telluride region’s only 24-hour emergency and trauma services. Providers use an evidence-based, patient-centered approach focused on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships. In recognition of this approach, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) named Telluride Regional Medical Center a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

For more information visit https://tellmed.org