Community

The North American region's Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V) is located in the rural area of southern Teller County in the state of Colorado, in between the small communities of Victor and Cripple Creek. The nearest city of some significant population is about 25 miles away in Woodland Park.

The Woodland Park area and Teller County region have struggled for many years to secure reliable health care for the community.

The Langstaff-Brown Medical Center, opened in 1982, provides office space for doctors and limited urgent care facilities. Although it was originally planned as a 24-hour emergency facility, it was unable to support the demands from the increase in traffic largely attributable to casino gaming in Cripple Creek, and its hours of operation have since been reduced.

The growing and aging population has placed increased pressure on the existing health care system in the region, to the detriment of AngloGold Ashanti employees, their families and the community as a whole. To address this need, the Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center Association was formed in 1999 with the aim of establishing a comprehensive health care delivery system to serve the primary needs of the region. Land for the facility was donated and site improvements to bring sewer and water systems to the site were completed in 2001.

CC&V has been involved in the Medical Center from its inception. Current VP/general manager Ron Largent says, "We are involved for two reasons: a full service medical center is clearly needed in the community and such a facility would be very beneficial to CC&V employees and their families."

From the beginning of the capital campaign in 2000, CC&V has donated $25,000 per year each year. These funds were used as matching funds to obtain grants from the State of Colorado - totalling $750,000 - from the Energy Mineral Impact Assistance Fund. This fund was established by the State to support communities that may be impacted by mining activities. CC&V pays taxes into this fund each year; for example, CC&V paid nearly $285,000 in 2003. Largent and Jane Mannon, CC&V's manager of community affairs, attended the grant hearings to testify to CC&V's support of the Medical Center and its value to CC&V and the entire region.

CC&V also has supported the Medical Center's other fundraising activities by providing booth space at Victor's Gold Rush Days and assisting with the annual raffle fundraiser. The Medical Center staff meet CC&V employees at the annual safety refresher training sessions, and these opportunities for distributing information have increased the profile of the Medical Center in the community.

During 2004, road improvements, which is the first step in the construction of the full facility, were completed. The association hopes to have full funding in place in 2005 and begin facility construction soon thereafter.