Valley-Wide Health Systems to Reopen Rocky Ford Clinic

Description: The Newly Remodeled Valley-Wide Health Systems Building in Rocky Ford, Colorado...

Valley-Wide Health Systems to Reopen Rocky Ford Clinic

Colorado, July 17, 2023- After a brief closure for remodeling, Valley-Wide Health Systems will reopen their Rocky Ford Clinic, offering a variety of medical, dental, and behavioral health services beginning July 24, 2023.

The renovation completely updated both the interior and exterior of the building to better reflect modern clinic design, and included a roughly 400 square foot expansion to the original 6,000 square foot building. “This addition will greatly enhance the experience of our patients visiting the Rocky Ford Clinic,” Glenn Rumrill, Regional Director of Operations for the Lower Arkansas Valley explained. “Patients will notice enhanced parking, a beautiful and bright waiting room, and seven brand new exam rooms”. While this remodel was made possible through a variety of funding sources, including the generous support brought forward by the Office of Senator Michael Bennet, the building itself has a long history of support from the residents of Rocky Ford.

In 1962, the Rocky Ford Community Council’s Doctor Procurement Committee set out to bring doctors to Rocky Ford. They bought the land from Glen A. Watkins, who built the original one-story building which was opened in September of that year. Watkins turned the building over to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church for operation, but not before dedicating the building to the memory of his wife, Gloria Watkins, who had passed in November of the previous year. Valley-Wide purchased the Gloria Watkins Memorial Medical Arts Building in 1997, and has been there since, carrying out their mission of making healthcare accessible to underserved populations.

“The original building served its purpose for a long time, providing very valuable medical services to the community, but it was beginning to show its wear. This expansion was a great way to honor that legacy, while also modernizing the building.” Rumrill said. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), in partnership with the City of Rocky Ford, as well as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) were also key contributors to funding this project.

An open house, which will include a rededication of the building to Gloria Watkins, will be announced in the coming month as finalizations of the project are completed.

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