Aspen Valley Health brings physical therapy back to downtown core

Aspen Valley Health has opened a new Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine clinic in downtown Aspen, offering access to physical therapy services in the commercial core for the first time in three years.

AVH previously operated a physical therapy clinic in the Aspen Athletic Club building before being forced to close when the space was sold and was ultimately redeveloped, according to a press release. The new clinic, which opened Nov. 17, 2025, is located in the Clark’s Market shopping complex on Puppy Smith.

“One of Aspen Valley Health’s primary goals is to provide our patients access to the care they need in locations that work for them,” Alyssa Franklin, chief operating officer, said in the release. “Reopening in downtown Aspen builds on our Network of Care and complements the rehabilitation services we provide at the Medical Center on Castle Creek Road and our clinics in Snowmass Village and Basalt.”

The press release highlights that the new location “checks every box” with its central proximity, room for two physical therapists and an office administrator, and free parking with dedicated handicap spaces. The release calls it “a significant upgrade from the previous location, which had limited space and required paid parking.”

What’s happening in Aspen, in one click.

Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters AspenTimes.com/newsletter

The return is a response to community demand, the release states. Jennifer Slaughter, chief growth and marketing officer for Community Relations at AVH, confirmed community demand has been increasing and AVH’s services have been expanding to meet it. She highlighted AVH’s partnership with The Steadman Clinic and efforts to raise awareness of AVH’s specialized programs, like pelvic floor therapy, traumatic brain injury therapy, and pediatric physical therapy.  

“There’s been such high demand and need for therapy services in this valley—whether it’s people recovering from surgery, treating sports-related injuries or alleviating chronic pain,” Louie Carder, director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at AVH, said in the release. “We want to make sure we are meeting the needs of our community, and the new clinic helps us reach that goal.”

The clinic is equipped with a treadmill, stationary bike, squat rack, cable crossover machines, leg press, balance equipment, and other specialized tools, the release confirms.

“The new clinic is well equipped for the footprint we have at the new location,” Carder said in the release. “It gives us the capacity to serve more people, more effectively.” 

The Aspen clinic is currently focusing primarily on physical therapy services. Patients who need occupational therapy, speech therapy, or other specialized treatments will continue to be served at the Medical Center, with AVH’s full range of rehabilitation services available. The downtown Aspen clinic is one of now five locations in the Roaring Fork Valley where patients can receive therapy services through AVH’s Network of Care — other locations include the Medical Center on Castle Creek Road, two sites in Snowmass Village, and the Basalt clinic near the park and ride.

“AVH is building a comprehensive system designed to serve the valley’s diverse needs and increase access to care,” the release reads. “That network has been expanding for much of the last decade, staffed by licensed physical, occupational, and speech therapists who provide a wide range of services.”

AVH’s Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine services also include the Traumatic Brain Injury program with both vestibular and concussion management therapies, specialists who are trained in pediatric therapy, pelvic floor therapy, and cardiopulmonary and pulmonary rehabilitation, and an oncology rehabilitation program working with cancer patients holistically throughout the entire treatment process.

“This is about more than opening another location,” Franklin said in the release. “It’s about ensuring that wherever you live in this valley, high-quality rehabilitation care is within reach.” 

Three physical therapists are currently seeing patients at the new location, with two therapists on the schedule per day. The hours of operation, according to Slaughter, are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Patients looking to make an appointment can call Aspen Valley Health Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at 970-544-1177 or consult their primary care physician.