Construction begins on new $40 million San Juan Hospital in Monticello
by Bill Boyle
San Juan Record Editor
A new hospital is under construction in Monticello after a groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 10. More than 100 people participated in the event, including health care workers, hospital administrators, health board members, state healthcare officials, elected officials, and more.
Visitors made use of a dozen or more golden shovels to symbolically turn the dirt on the project. Dirt-moving crews are expected to begin their work in earnest this week.
It is anticipated that evacuation and ground preparation will take place in the autumn months, with actual construction beginning when the winter weather begins to lift in March, 2025. The anticipated completion date is November 2026.
It was a spectacular fall day for the groundbreaking event at the new building site, sitting at the base of the Abajo Mountains. The new facility will be located on 15 acres of ground immediately adjacent to north and west of the current hospital.
The $40 million construction project will result in a new 46,000 square foot building that will eventually replace San Juan Hospital. The new facility’s proximity to the current hospital is helpful because the federal funding contracts can be transferred to the new facility.
San Juan Hospital is currently the oldest hospital in the State of Utah. The facility opened in January, 1960 and will reach “retirement age” (65 years old) within the next three months.
Four buildings on the current hospital campus will remain, including the current administrative building, the San Juan Clinic building, and the warehouse.
The surgical suite, which was built in 2010, will be repurposed to serve outpatient needs. The remainder of the hospital will be replaced.
Health District CEO Clayton Holt welcomed guests, including Representative Carl Albrecht, Senator David Hinkins, Francis Gibson, President of the Utah Hospital Association, Deborah McKee of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and members of the San Juan Health Care Board
After thanking the officials, Holt added, “Utah Governor Spencer Cox was absolutely critical in our getting this funding. He was personally involved in making this happen.”
Holt added, “Without the efforts of San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams, we would have been dead in the water. Commissioner Adams initially approached the state budget office and the answer was ‘No, there is no money.’
“However, he did not take no for an answer. Bruce met with the Governor and other rural leaders and they helped come up with a facility. Bruce was relentless, fearless, and used every ounce of time and effort to make it happen.”
Holt added, “At every step along the way, we had someone come forward and help us get this done.”
Ashley Reynolds, director of Nursing, also spoke and said, “This new facility will allow us to expand our services, improve patient care, and provide a more modern and efficient environment for both patients and staff.”
Board member Steve Simpson stated that the groundbreaking was a big day in the history of the health care district, which struggled for many years to make ends meet. Simpson was one of the last babies born in the earlier iteration of San Juan Hospital, arriving three months before the “new” facility opened in January, 1960.
Other members of the health care board include Allen Barry, Paul Sonderegger, Doug Christensen, Steph Williams, and Casey Veech.
The funding package for the new hospital was secured in the final days of the 45-day Utah State legislative session following weeks of intensive lobbying effort and work.
The $40 million funding package includes $17.5 million in low-interest loans from the Rural Opportunity Fund and the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity. The Legislative Appropriations Committee contributed a grant of $12.5 million. The Community impact Board added $5 million and the health service district will contribute $5 million as the final piece of the puzzle.
Clicking on the QR code on page A4 links to virtual tours of the new facility as designed by Method Studios.