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Hoeven tours progress of HAMC

By Charles Crane - Staff Writer | Feb 24, 2024

Sen. John Hoeven speaks with local leaders and Heart of America Medical Center staff following the tour on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, was in town on Tuesday, Feb. 20, to review the progress of the ongoing construction of the new Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby which is set to be completed this summer.

Hoeven was joined on the tour by Rugby leaders and representatives, along with HAMC staff and nurses. Hoeven was integral in securing funding for the project as ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, which included $55 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“What we’ve found is that every community that has done this, it has worked out very well. You can better attract the people you need. The people that you have are happier. It’s really impressive. You’ve waited for a long time, and you’ve needed it,” Hoeven said.

HAMC CEO Erik Christenson said the design of the new medical center was modeled after Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen, which he said, “did a really good job.”

“It’s the shopping mall experience, so you’re not searching for everything when you’re a patient. It’s easy to find out where you’re going. I really like that concept as a patient. I really appreciate that layout for a hospital because as anyone who has ever been sick, hospitals are always a maze.” Christenson said.

The new facility will be home to a new critical care hospital, a rural healthcare clinic and a long-term care facility which Rugby City Councilman and District 14 Rep. Jon Nelson joked he would likely reside in himself in the coming years. Nelson credited architectural firm JLG for the design, which Christenson echoed as the tour progressed.

“The nice thing that they did here, we said, ‘Design it like Rugby. Don’t make it look like the Taj Mahal, like all the money went into the building. Make it really practical and applicable to the community.’ We really appreciate what JLG did.” Christenson said.

The completed hospital will include common areas with fireplaces for patients and their families to relax, and a grab-and-go cafe to grab a bite to eat. About 100 workers are busy working on duct and electrical work, made possible by the early delivery of electrical switchgear, which Project Engineer Daniel Lukens said usually has about a year lead time.

“We’re doing great on material procurement which is good. It’s a huge bonus,” Lukens said.

The conversation turned to staffing during a peak at the clinic, which Christenson said took several iterations with input from HAMC’s providers. HAMC has 13 providers at this time, which he said, was “right where we need to be with staffing.”

“At times we need another one, sometimes we don’t. It’s a balancing act because we have requirements as a rural health clinic. We’re at 280 employees. Where we’re really short is in nursing and CNAs. I have 14 contract nurses and CNAs on site. I’m short and I got more retiring that have been in the community and no one is replacing them,” Christenson said. “That’s going to become a crisis, and it doesnt peak till about 2027. I really feel the government at a larger level needs to look at that. Nurses are the core of healthcare. I can get providers and doctors out here. I can’t get nurses. It’s an issue.”

HAMC plans to fully move operations to the new facility sometime in October.