SAFFORD — Ten months after breaking ground, Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center’s newest service to the Gila Valley is officially open.
A ribbon-cutting celebrated the grand opening of The Pharmacy at Mt. Graham on Monday morning.
Chief Operating Officer Randy Bryce, who previously served as Pharmacy director for the hospital, said the decision to have an on-campus pharmacy that can serve the general public was not made overnight.
“It didn’t make business sense for a little while. And then as we grew, and we were able to hire additional providers, it made a lot of sense with the 340B Program and other opportunities that are available to us,” Bryce said. “It’s a long time coming and it feels good.”
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program was initiated in 1992, and allows nonprofit healthcare providers, and those serving the healthcare needs of uninsured and low-income patients, to obtain medications from pharmaceutical manufacturers at the manufacturers’ cost.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
Development of the 3,540-square-foot pharmacy building cost $2.5 million. It has a drive-through and robotic prescription filler. Bryce said “most” of the money spent on construction remained in the Gila Valley, thanks to Hughes Custom Performance of Pima serving as the general contractor.
The next major construction project for MGRMC will be construction of a new main hospital building. Bryce said the new four-story building, which is planned for the western portion of the existing MGRMC campus, is currently in the design phase.
“It would not break ground for about six or eight months, and it would not be completed for about three years, so it’s a long-time project,” Bryce said.
Cost to build a new, modern facility is estimated around $200 million.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
