47°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Efforts continue to revive Tonopah medical facility

When could Nye Regional Medical Center reopen as an urgent care?

That’s what Tonopah area residents have been waiting to hear since the center closed last summer and as a proposed deal with Renown Health of Reno awaits finalizing.

Vehicles were spotted at the closed hospital off South Main Street this past week.

“Renown is in town this week, they’re at the hospital, they should be there all week,” Assistant Nye County Manager Joni Eastley said at the Feb. 24 Tonopah Town Board meeting. “They’re pulling (communications) cable and getting ready to install their telemedicine equipment,” she said. “We don’t have an agreement with them yet, but I think that indicates their commitment to getting that agreement done.”

Town Board Vice Chairman Tom Seley said he recently received an update from Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman.

“She’s been working very hard to bring the hospital package together with Renown,” Seley said, adding that “because of the hours she’s put into this and people wanting information,” Wichman planned to post updates via Facebook. “Currently the energy is being spent on establishing a clinic from which to build,” Wichman said in a post on a Facebook page called “Save Nye Regional Medical Center.”

That is to be followed, “very closely by an urgent care facility,” Wichman continued. “Due to the requirements to maintain a hospital, it is currently financially unsustainable, requiring nearly 50 employees (so I have been told) before admitting a single patient,” she wrote.

Eastley said at the town board meeting, “It’s been really heartbreaking and frustrating, infuriating.”

Town Board member and clerk Janet Hatch said, “We have a lot of people behind the scenes who have really been working on this for us. It looks like a snail’s pace but thank you.”

Contact reporter David Jacobs at djacobs@tonopahtimes.com

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Tonopah justice named judge of the year

Tonopah Judge Jennifer Klapper is this year’s recipient of the Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction’s “Judge of the Year” award.

How historical storytelling is highlighting Tonopah attractions

Preserving history for generations to come while simultaneously boosting tourism – that’s the goal of Tonopah Main Street: Historical Storytelling, a project that’s using the digital age to promote all of the fascinating facts about the bygone days of Tonopah.

Muckers baseball off to 1-3 start this season

By the end of the weekend, the Tonopah Muckers had played four games, where they scored over 17 runs.

Muckers start softball season 1-3

Tonopah softball started their season over the weekend with four games on Friday and Saturday.

Duckwater students learn about herd management

Placing on the table before him an increasing number of toy horses and burros behind a finite number of bite-size candies, Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Ben Noyes Tuesday illustrated for Duckwater Shoshone Elementary School students the impacts of herd overpopulation.

137 wild horses removed near Tonopah

The roundup — part of the Nevada Wildhorse Range Herd Management Area’s seasonal gathering — ended on Dec. 14, according to BLM officials.

Beatty Advisory Board backs playground upgrades

The Beatty Town Advisory Board passed a proposal to grant money for a new playground structure.