New physician’s clinic to be built in Monticello

The San Juan Health Service District is moving forward with construction of a new physician clinic in Monticello, despite some concerns that the district is adding debt.
A large number of area residents crowded a November 18 public meeting to express concern or voice support for the new clinic.
The district is set to assume $1.2 million in debt to help fund construction of the clinic, which is adjacent to San Juan Hospital. Construction is set to begin in coming weeks.
The state Community Impact Board (CIB) provided the funding for the project. The CIB asked that the county create a Local Building Authority (LBA) and issue $1.2 million in Lease Revenue Bonds.
The CIB is expected to purchase the bonds. The LBA will act as the landlord for the building and land. The district will then lease the facility from the LBA and the lease payments will be used to pay the bonds.
The two-story physician clinic building is 10,440 square feet and will be built by Tri-Hurst Construction. The clinic will feature a lobby, ten provider offices, ten examination rooms including two larger treatment rooms, and a small classroom for education programs.
The San Juan Clinic has been housed in the hospital facility for more than ten years. The move came in the late 1990s when San Juan County Commissioners sold the previous building, which housed a stand-alone clinic, to the Utah Highway Patrol.
The health care district has added $1.7 million in debt as it has retooled with several projects to deal with the opening of Blue Mountain Hospital in Blanding.
The retooling has included a new operating room suite, dietary lab expansion, the new clinic in Spanish Valley, and the new clinic in Monticello. In addition to the debt, the projects have benefited from $2.6 million in grants.
The health district projects and the new hospital in Blanding have helped bring an unprecedented amount of health care services to San Juan County residents. However, both hospitals face an uncertain financial future.