The E. Dene Moore Memorial Home, a long-term care facility in Rifle, is getting a revamped name, a change in leadership, and a commitment from the Board of Directors to raise capital for major improvements to the building.

In November, Grand River Hospital District, of which E. Dene Moore is a division, hired Jody Robinson to provide administrative oversight of E. Dene Moore.

Robinson selected Roberta Botkin, a registered nurse, to serve as director of nursing, and on Monday, Dusty Dodson will become the full-time administrator of the facility.

Previously, hospital district CEO Patrick Howery was the administrator.

“By bringing in individuals who could devote 100 percent of their time to E. Dene Moore, I can now dedicate my time to preparing to open the new Grand River Medical Center without compromising quality leadership at either facility,” Howery said.

“We have no intentions of shutting down E. Dene Moore,” he added. “While we have made changes, they are to improve the viability of this facility, not to take it away.”

Robinson, a Rifle native and licensed nursing home administrator, is co-owner of Rocky Mountain Care Concepts, which owns and operates long-term care facilities on Colorado’s Front Range. She will continue to act as a consultant for Dodson and GRHD.

She suggested changing the name to E. Dene Moore Care Center to better reflect its mission. It will continue to provide rehabilitative, respite and long-term care.

Dodson, previously the administrator at Glen Valley Care Center in Glenwood Springs, hopes to gain Medicare certification for the center. That would allow Moore Care Center residents to remain in Rifle for services paid by Medicare.

Dodson has been a nursing home administrator for eight years, in care centers ranging from 60 to 180 beds in rural and metropolitan areas.

GRHD is beginning a fund-raising campaign to cover the costs of remodeling the facility.

Plans include a new roof, a new call system, removing the overhang in front of the building to allow access by high-profile vans and ambulances, and automated doors on the front entrance.

This will be the first major renovation made to the facility since it was built in 1968.