Yuma Regional Medical Center commemorated a milestone in the hospital's push to expand services to Foothills and East County residents.
On Wednesday, President and Chief Executive Officer of YRMC, Dr. Robert Trenschel, was joined by local healthcare and civic leaders to celebrate the topping out of the hospital's new Foothills Health Campus building. Topping out refers to placing the last beam on a construction project. Guests were invited to sign the ceremonial beam as part of the event.
Trenschel said the new campus will bring a new menu of healthcare services to East County.
"Creating a one-stop-shop where people can come and receive primary care. Specialty Care, imaging lab, and pick up their prescription all in the same place. So, it's a facility that's designed for efficiency. It's a facility that's designed specifically for patients, and it's a facility that's designed for our staff," said Trenschel.
The new facility is a medical office building that will be staffed by Yuma Regional Medical Center physicians and practices.
Following the ceremony, Trenschel spoke to KAWC about the importance of expanding healthcare options in the region. He said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Foothills project.
"You know we're getting to the phase in the pandemic now where it's more of an endemic entity. You know we must learn to live with it, which we are doing. But it's presented some challenges in terms of the time frame for construction. But you know, Medcraft has just done a great job getting everything organized, making sure they had the correct amount of supplies."
Medcraft Healthcare Real Estate is the financing and development partner on the project.
Medical Director at Foothills Campus, Dr. Adil Baig, said he is thrilled with the new facility.
Dr. Baig said, "It's going to improve patient care and wait times in town and all over town because we will have a brand-new facility that will hold a lot of patients and be able to see them, get them in and out, and ultimately take care of them."
The new location will focus on outpatient services, although it will have an emergency department.
The facility is located off South Frontage Road and South Scottsdale Drive.
YRMC's Foothills Campus should be open by late summer 2022.
