By Jon Johnson
THATCHER — Marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) officially opened its newest primary care facility, Copper Mountain Clinic – Thatcher, located at 1013 N. College Avenue, Suite 104. Its official first day of operation is Tuesday.
The 3,600-square-foot clinic — situated directly adjacent to Eastern Arizona College’s new cosmetology facility — represents the hospital system’s first footprint off its main Safford campus. The 7,200-square-foot structure is a joint-venture project: EAC constructed and owns the “gray shell” building and leases the space to MGRMC, which funded approximately $1.6 million in internal tenant improvements.
The current primary care clinic occupies half of the building. The remaining 3,600 square feet will be built out to house a dedicated Urgent Care Center, slated to open in seven months to a year (around May 2027), along with a 400-square-foot expansion to the primary care space.
Dr. Brad Montierth serves as the medical director for the new location while continuing his director duties at the original Copper Mountain Clinic on the MGRMC campus in Safford. Physician Assistant Sam Crandall anchors the Thatcher clinic full-time, alongside Megan Cash, who provides psychiatric services full-time. Kelly Jo Masten rounds out the care team on a part-time basis split between both clinic locations.
Strengthening Community Partnerships
Speakers at Monday’s grand opening emphasized the strategic partnership between the local community college, municipal leadership, and the hospital system.
“Hospitals are challenged. Colleges are challenged. Rural Arizona in general is challenged,” said Thatcher Mayor Jenny Howard. “But let me tell you what we can do: We can form partnerships. We can work around that, and this is a true example of the types of partnerships that could be formed to build the facilities and the infrastructure that we need.”
EAC President Todd Haynie echoed those sentiments, noting how the shared campus presence builds on decades of educational collaboration.
“We connected with the hospital early on; they wanted to partner with us to build what is now a clinic and possibly even an urgent care shortly,” Haynie said. “It will benefit our students, certainly our faculty, our staff, but also everyone that lives on this side of the valley.”
MGRMC Governing Board of Directors Chairperson Caro Gaethje highlighted the clinic’s role in fulfilling the board’s strategic vision for regional care.
“Today is much more than the ribbon cutting of a new building; it represents our continued commitment to the health and well-being of the people who call this community home,” Gaethje said. “Projects like this do not happen by chance. They are made possible through the collaboration of our leadership team, physicians, providers, employees, community partners, and our board of directors, all working together with one common purpose.”
MGRMC Chief Operating Officer Randy Bryce noted that bringing outpatient care off the main campus makes healthcare access easier for residents in Thatcher and west Graham County.
“This is our first step off campus,” COO Randy Bryce stated. “It’s kind of our first step at getting toward where the people are so that they don’t have to go down and get congested (at the main hospital).”
Hospital staff stressed that while caring for students is important, the facility is open to all, not just those attending EAC.
Addressing Structure, Governance, and Future Needs
During the event, MGRMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bart Carter addressed the hospital’s long-term operations, clarifying the distinction between the hospital district and MGRMC Inc.
“Mount Graham Regional Medical Center is a private corporation — a private entity, not-for-profit,” Dr. Carter explained, emphasizing that the hospital operates independently without relying on regular public tax dollars or major endowments.
Dr. Carter also revealed that the hospital governing board is evaluating plans to replace the main hospital facility in Safford, built in the early 1970s.
“The hospital board is up to their eyeballs and earlobes trying to figure out how to build a new hospital,” Dr. Carter said. “Our hospital is 50 years old… and we have to have more space in a desperate way. For about double the size (of our current facility), which is what we have to have, it’s about $200 million. It’s a lot of money.”
Until then, expansion initiatives like the Thatcher clinic provide immediate relief to growing patient demand across the Gila Valley.
Copper Mountain Clinic – Thatcher is officially open for patient visits. Appointments and inquiries can be made through MGRMC’s clinic network.
