Sublette County Health’s hospital a reality

Sublette County Health’s hospital a reality
 
PINEDALE (WNE) — The century-long quest for a hospital in Sublette County is finally a reality. 
On June 28, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a $32-million loan application submitted by the Sublette County Hospital District to construct a new critical access hospital. 
The USDA’s historic decision gives the SCHD the green light to break ground on its proposed 70,000-square-foot hospital facility in Pinedale. 
In addition to inpatient and emergency room care, the critical access hospital will provide services not previously available in Sublette County, including blood transfusions, chemotherapy, CT scans and mammograms, said Kari DeWitt, SCHD public relations director, in a press release. 
“In the past, we have lacked basic services in Sublette County,” said Dave Doorn, SCHD administrator, in the release. “Having a critical access hospital will greatly increase care and will be a game changer for our community.”
The USDA’s validation of the loan request is the result of years of hard work by the SCHD board, employees and administration along with cooperation by local entities across the county. 
These efforts culminated in voter approval of a November 2020 ballot initiative to levy an additional 1 mill to establish a special hospital district. Sixty percent of votes cast favored the initiative. 
The USDA’s approval comes just in time, allowing the SCHD to lock in favorable interest rates. Ninety percent of the loan, roughly $29 million, is funded directly through the USDA at a 2.5-percent interest rate, Doorn confirmed at a special meeting on June 27. The remaining 10 percent, financed by Stroudwater, comes with a 3.25-percent interest rate. 
The SCHD will host a pre-bid conference in the next several weeks “to get bidding information into the hands of potential subcontractors,” said SCHD board chairwoman Tonia Hoffman.
 
 
This story was posted on July 1, 2022.