Community Hospital and Montrose Regional Hospital Announce Potential Partnership

The collaboration aims to help both organizations remain competitive in a changing health care environment.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Community Hospital and Montrose Regional Health have signed a letter of intent to explore the creation of a new nonprofit entity. The proposed partnership is designed to strengthen community-based health care across western Colorado and eastern Utah while allowing both hospitals to maintain their independence.

Why it matters

The partnership is intended to create a more competitive health care landscape in the region, improving quality and choice for patients and employees. It also aims to help the hospitals remain competitive in a changing industry by sharing resources and improving efficiency.

The details

The collaboration would focus on non-clinical initiatives like group purchasing, long-term planning, IT alignment, and revenue cycle optimization. Both hospitals would continue to operate as tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations with their own local governing boards, leadership teams, employees, and finances. The institutions would collaborate through the new entity while managing their facilities separately.

  • Community Hospital and Montrose Regional Health signed a letter of intent in March 2026 to explore the partnership.
  • The organizations set a goal to finalize the details of the partnership by the end of 2026.

The players

Community Hospital

A nonprofit hospital serving western Colorado.

Montrose Regional Health

A nonprofit hospital serving eastern Utah and western Colorado.

Chris Thomas

President and CEO of Community Hospital.

Jeff Mengenhausen

CEO of Montrose Regional Health.

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What they’re saying

“Community Hospital and Montrose Regional Health have proudly offered compassionate, high-quality health care to our region for generations. The people we serve remain our top priority and are a key reason we are exploring this partnership. This potential collaboration would stimulate economic growth and strengthen health care opportunities for our community, improving quality and choice for patients and employees alike.”

— Chris Thomas, President and CEO of Community Hospital

“Community Hospital and MRH both share a deep commitment to our communities, treating our patients like we would our own families. We are excited about how this collaboration would strengthen this commitment, championing a competitive health care landscape and increasing access and affordability for our providers, patients and communities.”

— Jeff Mengenhausen, CEO of Montrose Regional Health

What’s next

The hospitals anticipate reaching a definitive agreement on the partnership later in 2026.

The takeaway

This potential partnership between Community Hospital and Montrose Regional Health aims to create a more competitive and collaborative health care landscape in western Colorado and eastern Utah, benefiting patients and employees through improved quality, access, and affordability.