THATCHER — Thatcher Mayor Jenny Howard said Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center and Eastern Arizona College are both significant economic drivers for the Gila Valley, and both face significant challenges for state-level support.
“Let me tell you what we can do; we can form partnerships,” Howard said.
She made her comments Monday, at the Graham County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting of one of those partnerships — the new MGRMC Copper Mountain Clinic on the EAC campus in Thatcher.
Dr. Bart Carter, MGRMC CEO, said the clinic will serve both EAC students and residents in the western portions of the Gila Valley.
“This is a community primary care clinic,” Carter said. “This is an outreach of community primary care, so the people that are coming here, that we’re recruiting for here, that will be here, are primary care physicians (and) primary care nurse-practitioners.”
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
EAC President Todd Haynie said there is an already established partnership between the college and the hospital, via the college’s Nursing and Radiologic Technology programs and new Surgery Tech program.
“This right here becomes a practical result of that partnership, in terms of a clinic that will certainly benefit the whole community on this side of the Valley, but also our students, our faculty (and) our staff,” Haynie said. “I see this only expanding and, of course, the possibility of an urgent care clinic right next door, right across the street from the college.”
The facility cost $1.6 million to construct and hours will be dependent on staffing levels.
Dr. Brad Montierth will serve as medical director of the clinic, and will be joined by Family Nurse Practitioner Kelly Masten, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Megan Cash and Physician Assistant Sam Crandell to start.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
