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Fort Collins-based Poudre Valley Health System and the University of Colorado Hospital announced today the details of their new partnership, which include:

• A new name:University of Colorado Health
• New logos
• New executive leadership structure – PVHS’s President & CEO Rulon Stacey is the new Chief Executive Officer of University of Colorado Health and University of Colorado Hospital President & CEO Bruce Schroffell is the President and Chairman of the Board of the new organization.
• New governing board made up of people from PVHS and UCH.

Information on the new arrangement can be found at www.pvhs.org and here’s a Question & Answer document distributed by PVHS officials earlier today.

Such changes are being driven by pressures to do more for less. All doctors groups and hospitals are being impacted by demographic shifts, government policy and the need to balance access, quality and costs.

What does this change mean to the greater Fort Collins area? For the time-being, it doesn’t look like new partnership will impact health care employment in the area. How this impacts the involvement of the health care system in the community is a big unknown, probably even for the new UHC board and its leaders.

I guess the real answer is ‘time will tell,’ but it appears that leaders of the new health care system are working hard to get strategically positioned to meet the increasing challenges of providing quality health care in a rapidly changing environment.

Fort Collins is the new ‘motor city?’ Well, maybe so, at least according to a profile piece January 23 on Fox News about the Colorado State University’s Engine and Energy Conversion Lab. It’s titled “America's New 'Motor City'? Colorado city becoming a growing hub for green auto technology.” Long a leader in engines research and technology, the EECL is now more in vogue than ever as fuel efficiency grows in importance.

The ‘Engines Lab’ is on North College in the old Fort Collins Power Plant on the south bank of the PoudreRiver. The city owns the building but leases it to CSU. Just last week the City Council approved the expansion of the lab on the site.

The lab is a great example of how innovative and entrepreneurial communities can ‘grow their own’ jobs.

Should Colorado State University build an on-campus football stadium to replace Hughes Stadium? Since new CSU Athletic Director Jack Graham posited the idea right after he was hired in early December, it has created an intense buzz in the community.

Price tags vary but such an undertaking would cost between $70 million and $150 million with some saying it would take $200 million.

Is it a good idea? I don’t know, and the Chamber doesn’t have a position on it, yet. However, considering an on-campus stadium has merit, so it was good to see CSU President Tony Frank put an exploratory group in place and commit to an open process with the CSU and Fort Collins communities.

One thing that has always puzzled me as a relative newcomer to the community (9 years) is how quiet the town seems during home football games. How is it possible to have an event with 20,000+ people and hardly notice? Much of the reason is the location of Hughes Stadium. It’s possible to go to the game and largely bypass the community. Some would say that’s good relative to congestion and neighborhood issues; others would argue that it dissipates the economic benefit of having a Division I football program and the energy that goes with being a college town.

So far there has been great coverage by the Fort Collins Coloradoan. The paper has given the story a lot of play and seems to be committed to a full vetting of the issue.

If you have an opinion about the on-campus stadium idea, feel free to drop me an email, davidmay@fcchamber.org.

On this blog and in the local print media, I’ve repeatedly advocated for and defended the merits of capitalism. In that spirit, here’s an opinion piece on Bloomberg.com by Clive Crook in which he argues that we suffer a crisis of leadership, not a crisis of capitalism.

A divided state government (Democrats control the Senate and governorship, Republicans have a one-seat majority in the House), an election year, bitter feelings over the recent legislative redistricting, and a need for more budget cuts are the ingredients for an ‘interesting’ session of the Colorado General Assembly, which kicks off next week.

Among others, some of the topics that will likely be addressed during the Session include these: 

• State budget. Cuts will need to be made to balance the budget. The rub comes, of course, in the differing philosophies to do that. Republicans want to keep the $98.6 million ‘homestead exemption’ in place for senior citizens while tightening up Medicaid eligibility requirements. Democrats say increased Medicaid spending is required and the state can’t afford the property tax break for seniors.
• Restricting enterprise zones. The Denver Post did an expose’ about a tax break program for businesses known as enterprise zones. There likely will be discussions in the Legislature about how to modify the program.
• Civil unions. Public sentiment continues to shift toward allowing civil unions for gay couples, so the issue will likely be discussed and may again make its way to the ballot.
• Foreclosures. Consumer advocates will press for tightening of foreclosure requirements.
• Workers compensation. Leaders of Pinnacol Assurance are trying to become independent of state government as a provider for workers compensation coverage for business. Business organizations pay into the fund, so they are concerned about the program and are monitoring it closely.
• ‘Green energy’. There will be some legislation introduced to promote the development of renewable energy.

You can learn more about issues that will impact your business by attending the 2012 Legislative Preview Breakfast this Thursday, January 5^th at 7:30 AM, which will feature discussions on issues of highest priority to the business community in Northern Colorado.

CLICK HERE to register online. The cost for the event is $18 and includes continental breakfast.  The event will be held at American Eagle Distributing Co./Budweiser at 3800 Clydesdale Parkway in Loveland from 7:30 AM until 9:30 AM.  Registration and breakfast begin at 7AM.