History
History of William Bee Ririe Critical Access Hospital
With the moving of the county seat to Ely in 1887 the need for medical facilities gradually increased until by 1905 the first hospital building was ready for use. At that time there was also an emergency hospital in both Ruth and McGill. The Emergency Hospital in McGill still operated with a full-time nurse and a doctor available one afternoon a week. They served as a first aid station of the McGill area and for the McGill Kennecott employees, as well, and a medical center for some of the McGill residents.
The Steptoe Valley Unit of the White Pine Hospital was built in 1907. It was financed by Nevada Consolidated Copper, which later was taken over by Kennecott. Kennecott continued to finance the medical facility until it was given to the County.
The first Board of Trustees was appointed in 1953. They were Vail Pittman – Chairman (He later became governor of Nevada. He was the owner and editor of the Ely Daily Times newspaper.), Harold Bishop – Vice-Chairman, Dorothy Collins (mother of Chief Justice John Collins), Gerald Culbert and Reed J. Anderson M.D.
On the November 1964 election a bond was approved to build the new hospital.
The new facilities plans became a reality March 14, 1967 when the County was officially assured a $417,000 federal grant and $50,000 was appropriated by the State Legislature. The total costs of the new facility was set at $1,165,000.
The hospital project came up for a vote of the people in the presidential election of 1964 and the County’s voters passed a $500,000 hospital bond issue.
January 7, 1968, ground breaking ceremonies were held at the site of the new hospital. Holding shovels were hospital administrator, Ella Mae Peterson and veteran White Pine doctor, William Bee Ririe, for whom the new hospital was later named.
The new facility had become a reality through federal funds which were secured through the cooperation of Senators Bible and Cannon, State funds, a White Pine County bond issue, and Hill Harris Funds and Fleischmann Foundation funds.
June 29, 1969, when the dedication of the new hospital took place, it boasted almost all new equipment. The 44 beds, along with most of the new equipment, was made possible by Fleischmann Funds.
JCAHO Accreditation was obtained in 1969.
On December 7, 1983, the Nevada State Legislature established NRS 450.550 through 450.800 providing for the creation of County Hospital Districts. On December 21, 1983, White Pine County Ordinance 165 established a County Hospital District Board of Trustee. The Board of County Commissioners created the White Pine County Hospital District Board of Trustees pursuant to NRS 450.620.
In 1990, William Bee Ririe opened a physician clinic in the Reed J. Anderson Building, employing two family practice physicians. Realizing the success of this venture, the Board of Trustees voted to construct a clinic on the grounds of the hospital, as the need for more physicians and services were recognized. In 1999, clinic construction began adjacent to the hospital, which resulted in 18,000 square feet of space for the cost of $2,400,000. Construction was complete in 2000, and the new clinic had space available for 10 full time physicians.
In 2000, the Eastern Nevada Medical Group merged with William Bee Ririe, resulting in expanded medical services that included surgery, internal medicine, and numerous visiting specialists.
In February 2001, William Bee Ririe converted to a Rural Health Clinic as well as a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital, which allowed for cost base reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid services.
As the need for increased space in laboratory, additional services such as nuclear medicine, and an upgrade for the hospital facility, the Board of Trustees approved another construction project that comprised an additional 9,500 square feet of space, and renovation of another 6,000 square feet. The cost of this project was $3,000,000 and was completed in late 2007.
The new construction, combined with modern diagnostic and therapeutic technologies improved William Bee Ririe Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic’s image. Patients, after the construction project accessed new construction for almost all outpatient and Clinic services: 90% of patient care is provided in the Clinic or in a Hospital outpatient setting. Additionally, modern property, plant and equipment assisted administration and department managers recruit competent and progressive physicians and professional staff.
The construction project, in addition to improved image, resulted in improved convenience for patient access to: (1) the Clinic from parking lots; (2) the Hospital emergency room and outpatient services entrance from the parking lot; (3) the Hospital from the Clinic; (4) to the Clinic from the Hospital, providing convenient and integrated Clinic/Hospital registration at the hospital outpatient/emergency entrance resulting in convenient patient access to Clinic and emergency services.
On October 26, 2009 the Board of Trustees approved a three phase Operating Room and Endoscopy Suite Expansion and Remodel for $1.9 million. In June 2011 the New Operating Rooms were dedicated to surgeon, G. Norman Christensen, MD in honor of his 40+ years of service to William Bee Ririe Hospital. The completion of the project is expected in 2012.
Currently William Bee Ririe Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic providers include:
Baker, Nancy, M.D. – Primary Care Physician, Family Practice
Seigel, Gary, M.D. - Primary Care Physician, Family Practice
Stinson, Kathy, M.D. - Primary Care Physician, Family Practice
Miller, Valerie, M. D. – Primary Care Physician, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Uddin, Nasir, M.D. – Primary Care Physician, Internal Medicine
Christensen, G.N., M.D. – Primary Care Physician, General Surgeon
Mugosa, Mike, M.D. – Primary Care Physician, General Surgeon
Lee, Milton, M.D. – Primary Care Physician, OB/GYN
Omar, Holly, M.D. – Primary Care Physician, OB/GYN
Henley, Cal , P.A. – Primary Care Physician Assistant
Jones, Gerald, P.A. – Consulting Physician Assistant
Dow, Stephen, M.D. – Consulting Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon
McClish, Lawrence, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon
Prutzman, George, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon
Rhodes, Mark, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon
McCart, Stanley, M.D. – Emergency Department Director
Asterita, Denis, M.D. – Emergency Department Surgeon
Crutchfield, David, M.D. – Emergency Department
DeSilva, S., M.D. – Emergency Department
Flynn, George T. III, M.D. – Emergency Department
Gandy, John, M.D. – Emergency Department
Gray, John, D.O. – Emergency Department
Harris, Benjamin, D.O. – Emergency Department
Jensen, Kevin, M.D. – Emergency Department
Leach, Robert, M.D. – Emergency Department
Rollins, Daniel, M.D. – Emergency Department
Bernstein, Jonathan, M.D. – Consulting Physician, Hematologist
Crouch, Ronald, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Urologist
Hiss, Paul. M.D. – Consulting Physician, Ophthalmologist
Leckie, Robert, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Radiologist
Magnesen, David, D.P.M. - Consulting Physician, Podiatrist
Miller, David, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Pathologist
Porter, Glen, M.D. - Consulting Physician, E.N.T and Sleep Study
Rosenquist, Robert, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Diabetes Management Specialist
Schroeder, Robert, M.S.C.C.A. - Consulting Physician, Audiologist
Tadlock, Charles, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Pain Management Specialist
Trimble, Karl, M.D. - Consulting Physician, Dermatologist
Van Tassell, Marc, D.D.S. – Dentist
Walker, Matthew, Pharm. D. - Pharmacist
University of Utah – Cardiology and Echo Services
Family Hearing Services - Audiology
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