Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: With Mt. Graham as their backdrop, dignitaries dig that first scoop of dirt to break ground on MGRMC’s new Medical Office Complex.
By Jon Johnson
“This is another key day in our history going forward.”
MGRMC CEO Roland Knox
SAFFORD – The Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) ceremoniously broke ground on its new, 32,000-square-foot Medical Office Complex on Tuesday.
MGRMC Director of Marketing and Community Relations Danny Smith welcomed those in attendance and introduced various dignitaries before the groundbreaking.
Hospital administration was joined by governing board members, construction leaders, and local government leaders for the occasion, many of whom joined in by tossing some dirt with a gold-painted shovel.
The Medical Office Complex will be roughly 32,000 square feet and will house the hospital’s OBGYN clinic, Gila Valley Orthopedics with Dr. Rex Bryce, Dr. Elkins Pain Management Clinic, and Roadrunner Rehab. Both Gila Valley Orthopedics and Dr. Elkins Pain Management Clinic will become a part of MGRMC on Jan. 1, 2024, according to MGRMC Chief Operating Officer Eric Neal.
The new complex will be built by BFL Construction Companies and will be located adjacent to and just west of the 25,000-square-foot Copper Mountain Clinic recently constructed by the hospital. Construction is slated to begin in December with the complex expected to open in January 2025, according to MGRMC Director of Marketing and Community Relations Danny Smith.
“This new building, unlike the first one, will be completely filled and utilized from the day we open the doors,” Neal said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for expansion. And it’s just part of our commitment to the community to retain and expand as we can specialty services here in the (Gila) Valley so that folks don’t have to drive out of town for those services.”
MGRMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Roland Knox said the expansion would allow the hospital to better serve the area.
“All of this is in response to the needs of the community,” Knox said. “That’s what we do. We are the community hospital. That’s always our focus.”
MGRMC Governing Board of Directors Chairman Caro Gaethje concurred and said it was a group effort that will culminate with the new complex.
“We’ve been working hard with the administration to come together and figure out what the needs of the community are and move forward with those . . .” Gaethje said.
Smith elaborated and said that everything the hospital does is in response to the needs of the community.
“We’re growing to better serve people,” he said. “One thing that is unique about this campus is you can see your family provider, you can go for an MRI, CT scan, bloodwork, X-ray, maybe have a procedure done, stay in the hospital, go to rehab, and you’re not chasing all over Tucson, Phoenix, and Arizona with your billing in different places. It’s kind of unique that way. It’s convenient without burning up the road between here and Tucson and Phoenix.”
MGRMC is celebrating its 50th year in operation, first opening in 1973. The official anniversary will be celebrated on Dec. 9.
