Blue Mountain Hospital announced that it has secured an additional $2.1 million debt financing from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development. The funds will be used to construct, equip, and operate a new critical access hospital in Blanding. The remainder of the $23.1 million was raised through a combination of debt, private equity, lines of credit and private donations. “Blue Mountain Hospital is the culmination of a historic partnership between the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Utah Navajo Health Systems and the city of Blanding to service the healthcare needs of all the residents of the Four Corners region who have had limited access to or simply done without adequate healthcare for far too long,” said Manuel Morgan, Chairman of Utah Navajo Health System. “Our process will serve as the template for similar communities that seek to develop or update their healthcare infrastructure.”

“Blue Mountain Hospital broke new ground in many ways, this is the first time USDA-Rural Development and HUD jointly financed a new Critical Access Hospital and it marks the end of a very lengthy process and that only strengthened this project over time. We are proud to partner with Blue Mountain Hospital and to see how perseverance benefited Blanding and San Juan County,” said Bonnie Carrig, Community Programs Director with USDA-Rural Development. Ahmad R. Razaghi, President and Chairman of Blue Mountain Hospital, said, “This project is the first of its kind and has required the coordinated efforts and resources from several public, private, and tribal entities, all of which played a critical role, to secure the necessary capital needed to bring this vision to reality.”

Blue Mountain Hospital also announces the appointment of Victor Dee, Vice Chair of UNHS, who has replaced Donna Singer on the Board of Directors. “Victor’s experience and leadership will be a valuable addition to the Board [of Directors],” said Razaghi. “We appreciate Ms. Singer’s contribution. She is one of numerous individuals within the community who has provided support for this project.”

Blue Mountain Hospital is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization established to construct and operate a 45,000 square foot critical access hospital in Blanding. The new facility is designed with the latest medical technology to provide primary and acute care services to the diverse residents of the Four Corners region.

The 11-bed hospital will have two operating rooms, emergency department, three labor delivery rooms, state-of-the-art diagnostic center, renal dialysis, primary care clinics, pharmacy, and physical therapy. In addition, the facility will have a Native American Traditional Medicine Center, which was designed with collaborative input from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Navajo Tribe Chapters on the Utah strip. The unique design of the facility enables future expansion plans to be implemented without compromising medical service.

sjrnews@frontiernet.net