Meeker Terrace PMC new home

MEEKER I The Pioneers Medical Center board of directors is excited to announce they have selected a location to build the new medical facility. The Meeker Terrace property adjacent to the Meeker airport has been chosen as the future home to Pioneers Medical Center, Meeker Family Health Center and the Walbridge Memorial Wing.
The Meeker Terrace location meets the criteria the hospital needs for current and future healthcare needs. It was selected for the following reasons:
1. It is the most feasible and affordable site of the various site locations the board reviewed.
2. The soil testing results are strong with stable, low-expansive soils, which helps keep excavation costs manageable.
3. The site has 36 buildable acres. A facility of PMC’s nature needs a minimum of 20 buildable acres.
4. The site is within two miles of downtown.
5. The site allows for future expansion opportunities and ample parking.
The board has followed a methodical process. They first completed an assessment on the existing facility and developed the estimated costs for a new facility. Then they conducted a financial feasibility study. Pioneers Medical Center will be able to complete the project on the existing revenue sources. Next, the board entered into the site selection process. In this process they established criteria for a site. They tried to identify a variety of potential locations, and then measure each site against the criteria. The top two sites were then evaluated based on land cost, site development costs, total buildable acres, and soils test results.
Ken Harman, Pioneers Medical Center CEO said, “We hope to identify a few community partners to collaborate on putting the utility infrastructure out to the Meeker Terrace location.”
Because of changing technology, healthcare delivery methods, and changing patient needs, the current medical facility, located at 345 Cleveland, is no longer adequate to support the efficient delivery of care to which Pioneers is committed to offering.
Pioneers facility concerns are:
n Failing interior infrastructure of the 60+ year old medical facility. The current facility cannot be remodeled and continue existing patient care.
n Patient rooms are not handicap accessible
n Healthcare technology and regulations have changed
n We need to transform our facility to meet patient expectations and current healthcare delivery methods.
Today, Pioneers is proud to have increased patient care and services, while putting in place a savings plan, which will allow Pioneers to finance the new building through cash reserves, grants and donations, and private financing.
The board is committed to building a facility and investing in technology; in order to offer a variety of healthcare services, which match the needs of our residents, tourists and workforce. We recognize that those services should address preventative, emergency, diagnostic, acute, surgical, chronic disease, rehabilitative, skilled nursing, pediatric-type, geriatric-type care and more. We are excited to be in a position to provide Pioneers Medical Center, the Meeker Family Health Center, and the Walbridge Wing with the resources, facility and personnel to prepare our community for the next 50-60 years of healthcare
Pioneers Medical Center is governed by the board of directors of the Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Services District, d/b/a Pioneers Medical Center. Board members, elected by the residents of eastern Rio Blanco County, include Paul Sheridan, Todd Young, Diane Dunham, Mike Hoke, Rich Ellsworth, Steve Parr and Terry Goedert.