FREDERICK – A groundbreaking will be scheduled this spring for Frederick’s new hospital, which should open sometime in 2025, according to state Rep. Trey Caldwell (R-Lawton).
In conjunction with the groundbreaking, Caldwell and hospital designers are trying to determine which parts of the former Tillman County Memorial Hospital must demolished and which buildings will be “worth saving,” he said. Details of the groundbreaking have not been set. It could turn out that Frederick receives a brand new hospital, Caldwell said.
The “DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) is offering to pay for the demolition because of asbestos that is in the building,” Caldwell said.
Frederick is one of five communities that have applied for funding from the Oklahoma Hospital Rebuild Program, which has $25 million set aside to replace rural hospitals. The other four communities are Bristow, Eufaula, Sayre and Wilburton. Caldwell has requested an additional $20 million for that program because of “unforeseen costs associated with inflation.” Those funds have not been appropriated by the Legislature. Each community that applies for part of the $25 million must also submit a feasibility study.
The cost for a new Frederick hospital would be about $15 million and Caldwell believes the group pushing for the facility already has most of the money needed to build it on land near the hospital that was shut down eight years ago. Revenue sources would include $1.8 million from a Department of Commerce program, about $5 million from the Oklahoma Hospital Rebuild program approved by state lawmakers, $6-7 million from the federal Farm Bill and reauthorization of a Tillman County sales tax.
The Farm Bill is being held up in Congress and the county sales tax would require voter approval this spring, Caldwell said. Renewal of the 1% sales tax would provide about $30,000 a month and could be used for day-to-day operations or hospital renovations.
“This is a good example of when government at all levels work together and we have the same end goal,” he said. “This will allow the hospital to be sustainable for many years.”
Frederick will have a partnership with Comanche County Memorial Hospital to make the venture more viable. In addition, Oklahoma’s congressional delegation was able to help the project by giving the roadway leading to the hospital a critical care access designation. The delegation was able to get the definition of a roadway changed to a federally funded four-lane highway that is more than 35 miles away from the nearest hospital facility.
Frederick’s hospital closed in 2016 when inpatient and emergency room services were discontinued. Residents were given only primary care at the Memorial Medical Group Clinic.
Recently, state Sen. George Burns (R-Pollard) introduced a similar measure aimed at addressing health care needs in rural communities. Senate Bill 1269 creates the Rural Hospital Replacement Grant Program under the State Department of Health, providing vital funding to support the construction of new hospitals to replace qualifying rural hospitals.
“Access to quality healthcare is essential for all Oklahomans, especially those in rural areas,” Burns said. “This bill underscores our commitment to ensuring that residents in underserved communities have access to the medical services they need.”
The proposed Rural Hospital Replacement Grant Program defines a qualifying rural hospital as a licensed facility located in a county with a population of 50,000 or less and a poverty rate of not less than 19%. The Department of Health will establish an application process and scoring criteria to determine eligibility for grant funding.
Furthermore, the measure establishes the Rural Hospital Replacement Revolving Fund, which will consist of monies appropriated by the Legislature to support the program's initiatives.
Caldwell said he intends to talk to Burns about the proposal and working jointly to ensure rural residents receive proper medical care.