October 23, 2025

The St. Vincent General Hospital District (SVGHD) is pleased to welcome Justin “Bubba” Bartlett as Chief Executive Officer. He joined SVGHD in early October.

Bartlett comes to Leadville from Fort Benton, Montana. With more than 14 years of experience in healthcare business development, innovation, finance, and strategic growth, Bartlett brings deep expertise in leading rural hospitals and building collaborative teams.

Having worked under a large hospital system, Bartlett says he’s eager to lead an independent, community-driven hospital. “It’s like moving from a corporation to a family-owned business — you have more opportunity to do what’s best for your community,” he said.

Bartlett succeeds former CEO Andy Dreesen, who helped stabilize St. Vincent Health after a period of financial challenges. Bartlett looks forward to building on that progress. “We are in the position to focus on long-term plans that expand services that strengthen local care while building on our fiscal strengths,” said Bartlett.

Projects already underway include expanding surgical services and recruiting medical providers. Bartlett says listening to the community is key: “People have told us they’d like more access and flexibility, that’s exactly where we are headed.” As an example, SVH is adding a new primary care doctor to the team of providers. Alison Liewen, MD, will begin seeing patients in the rural health clinic in late November.  

Bartlett and his family are excited to relocate to Leadville and immerse themselves in small-town life. “We’re mountain people at heart,” he said. “We’ve already experienced the warmth and hospitality of Leadville and Lake County, and we’re looking forward to being part of this community.”

About St. Vincent Health

About St. Vincent Health
St. Vincent Health (SVH) is designated as a Critical Access Hospital and has served Lake County since 1879, supporting the community continuously since opening. Today, SVH operates from a shared campus of both its 1958 building and its 2021 modern hospital, offering a wide range of services including eight acute-care beds, swing bed, a 24/7 emergency department and ambulance services, Rural Health Clinic (primary care), specialty clinics, rehabilitation/therapy, imaging, laboratory, wound care, and more.

Learn more at www.stvincent.health.