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Mar. 16FARMINGTON A specialized Veterans Affairs medical facility in Kirtland could offer great new opportunities in the Four Corners that complement the resources available at San Juan Regional Medical Center, the hospital CEO said Monday.
But if the facility doesn't get the nod from the VA and shifts its focus to a general admission public hospital, the new operation risks duplicating already-available medical services and potentially increasing local health care costs, CEO Rick Wallace said.
"I like to think there's a lot of synergy that we could both develop from one another, and it definitely would add value to our community," Wallace said of the proposed 150-bed veterans hospital in Kirtland. "I think there's a lot of collaborative things we can do if in fact the facility comes to life."
The proposed $3.3 billion project is not confirmed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but local investor Bobby Willis said if the government agency chose not to lease the facility to serve area veterans, the hospital could become a private facility for treatment of the general public, and a competing interest with San Juan Regional Medical Center.
News of the proposal caught many unaware when it first was reported in Sunday's Daily Times.
"I was surprised to see such discussions had been going on and nobody's come and talked to anybody at the local hospital or the community of what can we do to reduce the duplication of services," Wallace said.
San Juan Regional Medical
Center is licensed to operate 285 hospital beds and employs more than 1,600 people. The hospital doesn't shy from market competition, but it's important to evaluate what new services are needed and what is redundant as the effort to reduce health care costs broadens, the CEO said.
"If we're building another facility that's just going to duplicate already-provided services, then obviously we're not meeting the goals of health reform," Wallace said.
Attorney Gary Risley, representing Willis and the proposed project, said the new medical facility will work to establish partnerships with San Juan Regional, although investors have not yet discussed the new facility with hospital staff.
The meeting with San Juan Regional officials isn't scheduled because the project is working on a short timeframe to get its proposal submitted for VA consideration by June, he said.
"I can't have everybody in the room, get everybody's agreement, and launch a project of this size in 60 days," Risley said Monday.
But the proposed veterans medical facility will offer more than traditional medical services, Risley emphasized. The project likely would include educational facilities, counseling services and other resources not available at San Juan Regional.
"We're focusing on veterans services; that's our primary goal," Risley said, noting the project will look to other investors if the VA declines. "The nature of the services to be offered may or may not duplicate anything that's happening at San Juan Regional depending on what parties sign the contract with us."
Willis, the project's primary investor, previously stated if the proposed medical facility is made a public hospital, the facility would establish contracts with "top doctors" and that "San Juan Regional Medical Center might have to close."
Risley on Monday said the county's established hospital has a history of success and would be a strong competitor for community medical services, but the focus remains on cooperation rather than competition.
"Our first goal is to have San Juan Regional be a partner in this project," he said.
The San Juan County Commission today will consider a resolution voicing support for the proposed VA medical center in Kirtland, a project proponents say would create 8,000 local jobs.
James Monteleone:
jmonteleone@daily-times.com
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