Leadership

Dave Ressler is Chief Executive Officer of Aspen Valley Hospital District, reporting to an elected Board of Directors. Dave has over 40 years of healthcare experience, starting as an EMT in the 1980s, with experience in managed care and as an administrator for the past 30 years. He has served two stints as the Hospital’s CEO, first from 2004 to 2013, and again from 2016 to present. During his time away, Dave helped launch a value-based management company, the Community Care Alliance, that serves member hospitals primarily in rural Colorado. Dave works directly with Aspen Valley Hospital’s Board of Directors to set the direction and implement policy for the Hospital and its Network of Care. He is responsible for ensuring the clinical excellence and operational success of the organization, and he plays a key role in representing it to the public and the wider healthcare community. Dave is passionate about ...[Read more about Dave Ressler]

Dr. Catherine Bernard is Chief Medical Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital, responsible for oversight and management of physicians and medical staff. As a member of the Hospital’s executive team, she serves as the liaison between senior management and the physicians, nurses and other clinical staff members. In addition to her staff supervision responsibilities, Dr. Bernard is tasked with supporting organization-wide quality improvement and patient-safety programs to assure the best possible patient outcomes. Dr. Bernard has spent her entire career at Aspen Valley Hospital, practicing emergency medicine since 2002. She studied medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, graduating in 1999. She completed her residency in emergency medicine in 2002 with the Christiana Care Health Services in Newark, Delaware. As an emergency medicine doctor, she has treated people of all ages with all types of conditions, and interacts with all the providers in our system of ...[Read more about Catherine Bernard, MD]

Diana Bulman joined the Hospital’s executive team in 2022, where she serves as Chief Development Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital and President of the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. She is charged with leading the Foundation’s efforts in working with donors interested in supporting the Hospital and its strategic priorities. She brings decades of experience in managing development and philanthropy for major hospitals across the country, including Stanford University Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. One area of particular interest for Diana is working with grateful patients and their relatives who want to support the hospital where they have received care. She is particularly inspired by people who want to use their personal resources to ease the suffering of others, fund research, improve patient care or honor the caregivers who made a meaningful difference in their lives. Before beginning her career in philanthropy, Diana ...[Read more about Diana Bulman]

Alyssa Franklin, PharmD, COO became Aspen Valley Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer in 2024. She is responsible for clinical operations of outpatient and ancillary services, which include the pharmacy, lab, diagnostic imaging, rehab services and nutrition services. She also oversees operations at Aspen Valley Primary Care and Whitcomb Terrace. Alyssa joined the executive team after four years working as the Hospital’s Director of Outpatient Clinics, a position that allowed her to work closely with Aspen Valley Primary Care in its shift to a value-based care system. Alyssa earned a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Masters of Business Administration from Drake University. She began her career at Aspen Valley Hospital in 2008 as a clinical pharmacist and was promoted in 2012 to Director of Pharmacy, where she helped develop evidence-based procedures to better serve patients. Her experience as both a manager and frontline healthcare worker has allowed her to support patients and ...[Read more about Alyssa Franklin, PharmD]

April Roark-Gay, DNP was promoted to Chief Nursing Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital in 2024. She is responsible for oversight and management of the entire nursing team, and she sets policies and protocols for nursing care and staff development to ensure high-quality patient care. April joined the executive team with more than a decade of leadership experience at the Hospital, starting in 2009 when she was hired as Director of Inpatient Nursing. Most recently she was Director of Staff Development where she oversaw design and implementation of the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program and expanded training for all new hires to include dedicated clinical orientation. April has demonstrated her commitment to the nursing profession both in her work and her education. Starting with an ADN in 1996, she went on to later earn a BSN and MSN in Nursing Education. In 2021, she completed a Doctorate of Nursing Practice at ...[Read more about April Roark-Gay, DNP]

Michelle Gelroth is Chief Information Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital. As CIO, Michelle leads the information technology (IT) team, which designs and implements technical solutions for all departments at the Hospital. Michelle was hired in 2014 as director of information technology, where she gained leadership experience in project management, application development, and clinical practice. She is passionate about leveraging technology to optimize clinician workflows and enhance the patient experience and outcomes. Michelle previously held positions at Valley View Hospital in compliance and strategic financial planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biochemistry from University of Oklahoma. Additionally, she attended medical school at Rocky Vista University. Michelle is a Colorado native and avid Denver Broncos fan who enjoys attending games with her husband and daughter.

Tom McCauley, Chief Human Resources Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital, joined the executive team in 2022. As CHRO, he manages a number of programs designed to support Hospital employees, including benefits, housing, health and wellness, vacation and leave, and staff development. He also supports Hospital recruiting, onboarding, employee relations and retention, and inclusion, diversity and equity programming. Tom holds a bachelor of science degree from Gles College of Business at the University of Illinois, and a Society of Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional designation. Tom’s professional experience includes 23 years at Accenture, the world’s largest consulting company, with 11 of those years in human resources. After leaving Accenture, he served in various leadership roles at a number of large healthcare organizations. Tom’s core passion within healthcare lies in the idea that if he and the leaders at AVH can sustain a great employee experience, the joy which is produced ...[Read more about Tom McCauley]

Jennifer Slaughter is the Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital where she leads strategic branding, marketing communications and growth initiatives for the Hospital. A member of the executive team, Jennifer also serves as the Hospital’s Public Information Officer. Jennifer started as Director of Community Relations in 2017 before she was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in 2019 and was named CGMO in 2023. Jennifer is passionate about her role in making a positive impact in the world, connecting people with the care they need to lead healthy lives. In 2022, she received her master’s degree in healthcare delivery science from Dartmouth College, further preparing her to lead innovation and change in the healthcare space. Jennifer previously worked in marketing and communications for area nonprofits, including the internationally renowned Anderson Ranch Arts Center. She also ran her own firm, successfully driving visibility and growth for local, regional and ...[Read more about Jennifer Slaughter]