New era begins in Pahrump as HealthCare Partners celebrates building’s debut

HealthCare Partners’ new medical facility is not only a boon for the medical group, but many other organizations around Southern Nevada.

Dr. Bard Coats, market president at HealthCare Partners thanked his roughly 100 teammates for their work and care they give to patients at the organization’s new $16 million, 57,000-square-foot facility at 1397 S. Loop Road on Oct. 14 during a speech at a grand opening celebration.

Hundreds found their way into the hallways of the new building to celebrate and to hear what Coats, along with several other speakers, had to say about what that might mean for the local community.

The facility has become a single-point of care, offering imaging, urgent care and primary and specialty care all in one spot for what Coats estimated to be about half of the town’s population.

HealthCare Partners, a division of DaVita Medical Group, consolidated its several locations into one with the new building, except for pediatrics, which will not move to the new building, Coats said.

Dixon Keller, regional director of sales and marketing also took to the stage to speak about the group’s new offerings, including its new 2,000-square-foot Humana neighborhood location, which sits inside the new HealthCare Partners building.

Humana has also gone through consolidation, closing its center near the Albertsons grocery store on Highway 160.

Humana has also opened a pharmacy at the new building, which is open to the public.

Richard Bodager, CEO of Desert Radiology, also spoke about its new imaging center at the HealthCare Partners facility.

Susan Davila and a representative from U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen’s office were also on stage during the roughly 30-minute presentation.

The grand opening event went on for roughly five hours and included food, drinks and tours of the new facility.

Humana

Humana’s new space is now open and is staffed by licensed sales representatives and a virtual customer service kiosk, where members can speak with a Humana customer service representative via video chat.

The Humana facility, whose staff focuses on a Medicare eligible demographic, will be hosting lectures on medical topics and have other educational offerings at its new facility. Most of these offerings will be open to the public.

In an off-stage interview, Keller said the group is still setting those up at this point. The focus right now is the Medicare open enrollment period that started on Oct. 15, running through Dec. 7, he said.

The Humana facility is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the facility at 775-910-6010.

The facility is also offering other forms of entertainment.

“We are putting in a very good overhead video projector with a pull-down screen, because we are planning on a regular basis to show movies, so Pahrump now has a mini movie theater,” Keller said.

Also open is the new integrated retail Humana Pharmacy, open to members and non-members.

Keller said one advantage of an integrated pharmacy is the ability for prescriptions to be sent with the push of a button, instead of having to bring in a paper prescription.

The pharmacy is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Desert Radiology

Bodager took to the stage during the groundbreaking event at the new HealthCare Partners building to speak on the new offerings the facility will have, many available in the evening and on the weekend, he said.

Some of these services include X-ray, CT and ultrasound, which will be available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The group will also be offering MRI, nuclear medicine and other services at the new building—available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This is Desert Radiology’s first operation in Pahrump and Nye County.

How the building came to be

The HealthCare Partners facility has been in the works for the past several years.

Talks on the subject began not long after the group entered the market in 2011.

At that time, HealthCare Partners purchased a few medical practices in the area, which the group has worked to consolidate over the years. During a town hall meeting, about four years ago, it was suggested that HealthCare Partners consider constructing a building.

In an interview prior to the event, Coats said the group worked to find a developer that was willing to own the building and lease it to the medical group.

After getting past this hurdle, the building broke ground in February 2016.

The building has benefited the local economy, even before it opened.

“The 18 months from groundbreaking to occupying the building has been the work of several hundred engineers and craftsman and individuals who have been part of that,” he said.

Coats estimated that about $5 million went to local workers for the project.

For more information about the HealthCare Partners facility or to make an appointment, call the main number at 775-727-5500.

Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes