March 11, 2010 —“Our hospital in Grants does digital mammography? Our hospital does sleep studies? General surgery? MRI? Blood (lab) work? Our hospital has a physician clinic?”

“Yes and there’s more,” I reply.

The next thing I hear is, “I thought I had to go to Albuquerque for that.”

“Let me tell you all about it.” This is where I launch into the stories of our providers, nurses, and healthcare professionals who facilitate our growing list of services, county-wide. I get asked questions about healthcare that can be categorized into two key groups: 1) services offered and specifics about healthcare professionals 2) plans for accommodating growing healthcare demand in Cibola County.

The culture of our community is truly “local” and if there is one thing I’ve learned about Cibola County citizens it’s that we cherish and protect our independent identity and our quality of life. If we can avoid Albuquerque we will. We want services in our own back yard. We want doctors who know our health history and our family’s. As a healthcare provider, it’s our job to inform you, the public, about your hospital and its future.

Bringing More Medical Providers to Cibola County

A few years ago, our board of directors made a commitment to increase our community’s access to healthcare by recruiting physicians. We received market studies and federal designations that showed our community has a severe shortage of healthcare providers. According to our 2009 market study, our community was in need of several primary care physicians in all of the following specialties; family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN, and pediatrics. The existing providers in the community were overbooked, it took longer to get in to see a doctor, and patients had fewer choices when it came to choosing a physician.

To date, Cibola General Hospital has brought three (going on four) physicians to our community. They include: Dr. Karla Vitale, who does Family Practice and Obstetrics; Dr. Okay Odocha, a General Surgeon; and Dr. Charles Onyeama, Pediatrician. This spring we will welcome Dr. Ann Church, OB/GYN. In addition to obstetrics services, Dr. Church will provide gynecological surgery services.

In addition to these primary care providers, our hospital continuously evaluates partnership opportunities with visiting specialists. For example, Dr. John Hembree provides podiatry services two days per week at the Cibola Family Health Center. We are also evaluating possible partnerships for nephrology, orthopedic, and cardiology services.

We house these physicians and visiting specialists at the Cibola Family Health Center clinic on Roosevelt. However, due to the recruitment of additional providers, a second location will soon be opening within the Valdivia Medical Office Building. Although the increase in providers available in the community is great news for all of us, it has created a challenge for the hospital in finding medical office space to accommodate all of them.

The bottom line is that having more physicians in our community provides a substantial benefit. More providers in Grants means more choices for you, less driving to Albuquerque, and reduced wait time to get in to see a physician when you need it most.

Respectfully,

Kenneth Cochran, RN, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer