RDH hosts grand opening of new hospital building

RANGELY I The new Rangely District Hospital building’s grand opening brought hundreds of people through the doors for the first time on Friday.
Visitors arrived to find oversized balloons, goody bags and a luncheon waiting inside the slate-lined foyer.
“I just want to take a few minutes to relish in this,” RDH chief executive officer Nick Goshe said at the opening ceremony. “I can’t say enough about the people who were involved in helping make this happen, because thanks in part to a pretty low turnover rate, most of the people who were involved with it are still here.”
Goshe thanked the hospital board, department manager, and employees for their role in the building’s completion.
“The board members really give of their time,” Goshe said. “It’s one board meeting a month, but there’s more to it than that. There were lots of public meetings done and they’ve answered a lot of public questions… Every one of the managers gives every day and has been involved with this. And to the employees, thank you for all that you do. This is for you.”
RDH board president Jack Rich said that contractors Adolfson & Peterson, owners’ representative Pam Solano, and the building’s architects helped the project move forward smoothly and reach completion ahead of schedule.

“I don’t know if you can sense the excitement, but everybody on this board is just ecstatic that we’re able to have this ceremony today,” Rich said. “I think one of the greatest things we did to start this project was to have good people on our team. When that happens, things will go a lot smoother, a lot easier, and you’ll be a lot more productive.”
In March 2009, the RDH board moved forward with the $38.7 million bond issue, which voters passed the following May. Contractors were unable to break ground until last September, a delay caused by conflicting regulations between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Rather than finance the bonds through HUD, the board sold the bonds privately, resulting in an estimated $40 million savings.
Now, 15 months after the groundbreaking, Goshe said that the building will pass its final inspection later this month or in early January. When the inspection flies will determine the hospital’s first day of business.
”If we pass inspection on Dec. 19, we’ll open on Jan. 7,” Goshe said. “If not, the inspector will be back on Jan. 2, so we’ll probably open Jan. 14. Either way, (the inspector) is talking final inspection, so we know it’s close.”
During the ceremony, RDH chief compliance officer Bernie Rice presented items for the hospital’s time capsule, which will be “sealed until this building is decommissioned,” Goshe said. Included were a Gideon’s Bible from the original hospital in 1952, current hospital staff rosters and photos, and a guest book visitors signed at the event, among other items.

Following the speeches, Adolfson & Peterson vice president Doug Johnson presented a cash and food donation to the Rangely Food Bank. Visitors took informal tours through the new building, where hospital employees greeted guests and answered questions.
Dental hygienist and Rangely resident Suann Anderson attended Friday’s opening and was impressed with the scope of the new building.
“We can’t afford to be antiquated,” Anderson said. “In medicine and health care, we need to be progressive.”