Peak Vista Community Health Centers announced Friday that its board named Jaeson Fournier as CEO of the Colorado Springs-based safety net provider, which offers medical, mental and dental care for uninsured, indigent and low-income residents across Southern Colorado.

Fournier will join Peak Vista in mid-September, according to a news release. He has led community health centers for over 20 years, most recently as CEO of CommUnityCare Health Centers, the largest federally qualified health center in Texas. 

His appointment comes after a months-long search involving Peak Vista’s board and an executive search firm.

“As a Board, we were dedicated to finding a leader who can guide Peak Vista into its next phase of growth and success as well as further strengthen our commitment to patient care, financial sustainability, workforce development, community engagement and operational excellence — and we are confident we have found that in Jaeson,” Stella Hodgkins, board chair, said in the release. 

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Fournier said he is looking forward to advancing health equity for those who need and deserve access to care. 

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to join such a dynamic team, united by a shared commitment to the community we are so privileged to serve. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves, listen, learn and lead alongside this extraordinary group as we shape a healthier, more equitable future across the region,” he said in the release. 

Fournier will work closely with Richard Eitel, who has served as interim CEO of Peak Vista since January, to ensure a seamless transition, according to the release. 

Eitel became interim CEO after Emily Ptaszek, a psychologist, left to pursue a career that would “allow her to make more impact across the industry,” according to previous Gazette reporting.

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Peak Vista’s patient count dropped by almost 20,000 people, going from 93,000 to 74,000 during Ptaszek’s three years at the helm. 

In August 2024, employees filed 18 charges of labor law violations against the organization with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency determined in December 2024 that Peak Vista wrongfully terminated five doctors last summer, and ordered that they be compensated with back pay and have the chance to be reinstated. Peak Vista is appealing the labor board’s decision on the termination of the physicians. 

Peak Vista doctors fired over the summer were wrongly terminated, labor board rules