THATCHER — Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center and Eastern Arizona College are not slowing down when it comes to expansion.
During the ribbon-cutting for the Copper Mountain Clinic Thatcher on the EAC campus on Aug. 3, it was announced the next ribbon-cutting will take place Sept. 14 for the new MGRMC Pharmacy on the hospital campus in Safford.
And Dr. Bart Carter, CEO of Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, said the hospital is pivoting away from plans to expand the ER and surgery unit to instead construct an entirely new hospital, with modern, upgraded equipment and services.
He said the cost of a new hospital will be about $200 million and will require strong investment from the community.
“As I have been exposed now to many other CEOs of critical-access, rural-type hospitals, I find out that we’re really on the lower end of receiving endowments,” Carter said.
He did not announce a timeline on when construction could start.
The next MGRMC Foundation fund-raiser will be the Enchanted Forest Black Tie Gala, Sept. 19, from 6-9 p.m., at Manor 415 Event Center. Tickets are $200 each and can be purchased by clicking here.
The goal is to raise $226,000 and UFC Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje got the balling rolling with a $10,000 donation.
At EAC’s ribbon-cutting for the new Cosmetology Program facility on Aug. 13, College President Todd Haynie said the goal is to get more students on campus and that means more housing is needed. He said housing on campus is at 100-percent capacity and there is a waiting list.
However, the college has purchased land east of the Cosmetology and Clinic buildings that can be used for development of new housing units, which Haynie said would be constructed in phases.
“A large part of that is just going to depending on funding (and) availability of funding. Maybe we can get an appropriation from the Legislature,” Haynie said. “We’re so grateful for what the Legislature does for us and continues to do for us, we just need a little bit more so we can lean into that housing.”
