As you step into this generalist radiology position at Montrose Regional Health, you'll become an essential part of a healthcare system experiencing remarkable growth—serving a vibrant region where outdoor enthusiasts from Telluride, Crested Butte, and surrounding mountain communities depend on quality diagnostic imaging. This isn't just another radiology job; it's an opportunity to practice medicine in a setting where your expertise directly impacts a community that values both exceptional healthcare and an extraordinary quality of life.
Montrose Regional Health serves as the healthcare hub for an expansive region of Western Colorado, drawing patients from a 50,000-60,000 person service area that extends across multiple counties. You'll provide diagnostic services for patients from Delta County, San Miguel County (including Telluride, Ouray, and Ridgeway), and Gunnison County near Crested Butte. This region's unique character—combining a retirement community with world-class ski resorts and outdoor recreation destinations—creates diverse and engaging clinical cases, from routine diagnostics to trauma related to the active lifestyle that defines this area.
Unlike many rural positions where radiologists struggle with inadequate resources, you'll practice at a hospital that has invested heavily in state-of-the-art imaging technology and is actively expanding its capabilities. The organization recognizes that radiology is the rate-limiting enzyme for the entire healthcare system, and they're committed to providing the resources, support, and compensation that reflects this reality.
This position offers something increasingly rare in rural medicine: you won't be practicing alone. The department is strategically building a robust radiology team, with Dr. Bernstein currently on staff and Dr. Wolford joining next summer, specifically focused on women's imaging and PET/CT. You'll be joining a thoughtfully constructed group where colleagues genuinely support each other, and maintain the kind of work-life balance that often proves elusive in private practice settings.
The position requires:
You'll work Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with no scheduled night call, no weekend obligations, and no mandatory on-call rotation. This is an employed position that offers the stability and benefits of hospital employment without the grueling schedules that plague many private practice settings. The 12 years of leadership stability in the department speaks volumes about the supportive environment you'll find here.
With approximately 80 reads per day when physically present in the hospital, your workload is substantial but manageable—particularly because you're not working in isolation. The volume reflects a busy, growing practice, but the presence of teleradiology backup (V-RAD and Rad Partners) for after-hours coverage means you truly can disconnect when your shift ends. You'll report to Bodie, the Director of Radiology, who has cultivated a reputation for supporting physicians and maintaining a positive departmental culture.
This position offers more than just diagnostic responsibilities. You'll have opportunities to participate in tumor boards, weekly physician educational conferences, and interdisciplinary collaboration that keeps you connected to the broader medical community. If you're interested in departmental leadership, there's potential for a directorship role as the group expands, offering additional compensation and the chance to shape the future of radiology services in Western Colorado.
This is a replacement and expansion position designed to establish a sustainable, collegial practice environment where physicians can build long-term careers. Unlike the temporary solutions many rural hospitals rely upon, Montrose Regional Health is investing in permanent, employed radiologists who will become integral members of the medical staff and community—physicians who choose this lifestyle rather than those simply passing through between more lucrative assignments.
The hospital's growth trajectory has created an urgent need for additional radiology coverage. New service lines—including spine surgery, an expanding GI program, pain management, and additional orthopedic services—are driving imaging volume upward. The recent opening of the state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Center, with its advanced outpatient imaging capabilities, reflects the organization's commitment to meeting this growing demand with facilities and technology that rival any metropolitan system.
The radiologist who joins this team now will help establish the foundation for a sustainable, balanced practice model that can support the community's healthcare needs for decades to come—all while enjoying the incomparable lifestyle that Western Colorado offers.