FREDERICK, Okla. (OBV) – Construction is underway on a new critical access hospital in Southwest Oklahoma, giving the community of Frederick a new health care center several years after the closure of its sole hospital.
Ground was recently broken on Memorial Health of Tillman County Critical Access Hospital. It will be the community’s first hospital since Tillman County Memorial Hospital closed eight years ago. Frederick residents have had to drive between 30 minutes to an hour to receive hospital-level care, according to officials with the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Community members gathered with local, state and federal leaders to celebrate the forthcoming hospital’s construction.
“This is the first time in 50 years that a hospital has been rebuilt after closure, except for one instance in Kansas following a tornado,” Oklahoma State Rep. Trey Caldwell said in a prepared statement. “This is a turning point for rural Oklahoma, and I hope it shows other communities that a lot of good can happen when people work together.”
The Oklahoma Legislature appropriated money through Senate Bill 20XX in 2022 to help fund development of a new hospital in Frederick. The Rural Hospital Rebuild grant program was tasked with distributing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to medical centers in areas disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I took office in 2018, I knew bringing a hospital back to this area was a top priority of mine,” Caldwell said. “Southwest Oklahoma has voiced how important this is, and I’ve done everything in my power to make it happen. Now, six years later, we’re closer than ever to returning a hospital to Tillman County, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, championed implementing a transparent application process to distribute ARPA funds to targeted projects throughout Oklahoma.
“For too long, rural hospitals have been left to wither on the vine,” Hilbert said. “Thanks to Rep. Trey Caldwell’s leadership, we injected $25 million into rural communities to restore their access to healthcare. Lives are going to be saved thanks to this funding, and I’m particularly thrilled to join him in Frederick for the groundbreaking of the new hospital that spurred this investment across the state.”
The effort for the new hospital received additional funds when Congressman Tom Cole secured around $6 million in direct congressional appropriations. It also received $1.8 million from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s Public-Private Partnership (P3) program and loans from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.
The hospital will include five emergency treatment rooms, 10 inpatient beds, physical therapy, radiology, laboratory and space for additional support services.
Memorial Health of Tillman County will serve Tillman County residents as well as community members from Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa and Cotton counties – a total of around 15,000 people.
“This is a real win for rural Oklahoma,” said Heather Turner, Executive Director of CORE within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. “We Oklahomans know that a true spirit of collaboration exists in our state. I’m glad we were able to showcase that spirit on a larger scale. Congratulations to the community of Frederick and the many people who worked tirelessly to make this a reality.”
Caldwell thanked Congressman Tom Cole; Brent Smith, CEO of Comanche County Memorial Hospital; Ryan Ade, a medical practitioner and Chairman of the Tillman County Trust Authority; former Oklahoma House Speaker Loyd Benson; Kenneth Corn, Oklahoma’s USDA State Director for Rural Development; and numerous others who helped bring the forthcoming hospital to fruition.
