An inquiry to almost any resident in Pahrump regarding what resources the area is lacking will generally lead to one answer: medical services.
As with other rural parts of the state, Pahrump has consistently struggled when it comes to health care options and those who live here are often frustrated by the need to travel into Las Vegas for certain kinds of care. In less than a year however, residents will have more access to specialty care and surgical options without leaving town.
“Community Health Development Partners LLC (CHDP), a health care facility developer and operator, has announced plans to open Pahrump Community Health Center in early 2023,” a news release from the company states. “CHDP is constructing a 25,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center and medical office building on vacant land located at 136 South Lola Lane in Pahrump.”
On Tuesday, July 5 officials with the town of Pahrump, Nye County and CHDP gathered at the site for a groundbreaking ceremony, turning over the first shovelfuls of dirt on the land that will give rise to the valley’s newest health care facility.
The acreage selected for the new Pahrump Community Health Center is adjacent to the VA Clinic on Lola Lane, near to Desert View Hospital, Mountain Valley Physicians Group and other medical facilities. As detailed in the release, the new health center will give residents the ability to undergo various outpatient surgical procedures and receive specialty care right here in the valley.
“The facility will create capacity for more than 2,000 surgeries and procedures each year and, with the addition of health and wellness programming for the surrounding community, serve up to 3,000 area residents annually,” the release reads. “The medical office building will accommodate up to 1,500 annual pre- and post-procedure visits for local and visiting physicians, creating a convenient hub for specialty care that is not currently available in Pahrump.”
The Pahrump Community Health Center will consist of four operating rooms and two procedure rooms, as well as a catheterization lab, which allows physicians to evaluate a patient’s heart function by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel and then into the coronary arteries. “It will offer a broad range of medical services in response to the area’s most pressing health care needs, including general surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, podiatry and ophthalmology,” the release states.
In addition, wellness programming will be incorporated, such as heart-health cooking, nutrition and exercise classes, FluFit clinics aimed at promoting colorectal cancer screenings in conjunction with annual flu shots, and classes about pain management alternatives that do not include prescription drugs.
“The facility also will employ a dedicated Patient Navigator to help local health care providers connect their patients with advocates, agencies and nonprofits that can help supplement their care. Patient Navigation services will be available to all area residents, regardless of whether they utilize the surgery center,” the company explained.
With construction now underway and expected to wrap up not long after the first of the year, CHDP is actively recruiting staff members. The Pahrump Community Health Center is anticipated to provide 37 new health care jobs. Those interested in working at the facility are encouraged to contact Kevin Brown at Kevin.Brown@communityhdp.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com