Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) recently relocated its Wellness Center in Prescott – home to Preventative Medicine and YRMC’s Outpatient Physical Rehabilitation Service Department – to a remodeled facility at 1112 Iron Springs Road.
That building, now clearly identified with external signage, is the former site of Whole Foods and New Frontiers. The structure at 930 Division St. has been demolished. In the next year, it will be replaced with a new 100,000-square-foot, three-story health and wellness center, said YRMC Director of Marketing and Communications Kenneth Boush.
Moving the Wellness Center to a new location and building a modern medical structure on the 21-acre west campus is just one phase of a long series of strategic expansion plans for YRMC, said Boush.
In all, several multi-million-dollar expansion projects are underway at YRMC. “Not one penny of property tax money has ever been levied to pay for capital improvement or expansion projects at YRMC,” Boush said. “That’s been true for 75 years of our history.”
Concurrent with the upcoming construction of a new health and wellness center is the ongoing construction of a new 400-space multi-story parking garage. It is expected to be completed by late summer.
Meanwhile, a new employee parking lot has been constructed on what used to be the Miller Valley Elementary School property at 900 W. Iron Springs Road. “We asked employees to park across the street so our patients and visitors have more immediate access to the hospital,” Boush explained.
The relocated Wellness Center is actually two medical facilities located under one roof. One provides Outpatient Physical Rehabilitation Services and the other the Wellness Center. Andrea Klein, RN, BSN, CDE, and director of preventative medicine and wellness, said she was pleased with the newest exercise equipment installed. “Our patients have even more options now.”
She noted services offered by the Pendleton Center will be the same as those available at the former facility. Pendleton Center hours of operation on Monday through Friday are available by calling 928-771-5794.
NEW HEALTH CENTER CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN
Preliminary work for foundations and infrastructure has already begun for the 100,000-square-foot medical office. Boush noted that facility construction at YRMC is unique from most other commercial construction. “What many people don’t realize is that both our hospital campuses have potential for being independent from external utilities like water, gas and electricity. We must have reliable back up for utilities. Our hospitals must be capable of being totally independent from outside resources. In the event something happens to power or other utilities, YRMC has everything it needs to keep going.”
When completed sometime in 2021, the new health and wellness center will contain a variety of specialties that relate directly to the YRMC West campus medical priorities. Among those will be cardiology, primary care and other services. A demonstration kitchen will be included, too, so dietary experts can share their best practices with the public.
Boush also mentioned that the new health and wellness center is “green,” constructed with environmentally friendly materials and practices. Ultimately, the new multi-story center will be connected by two overhead walkways to the new parking garage located to its northeast.
As facilities are growing, so is the number of staff members. More than 2,000 people are employed by YRMC at its campuses in Prescott Valley and Prescott. Boush says YRMC has one of the largest payrolls in Yavapai County. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
Leave a Reply