The Grand River Hospital District Board of Directors has voted to place a bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to address critical facility challenges and keep pace with growing community health care needs.

The proposal would fund $65 million in major capital improvements without imposing a new tax on district residents.

Grand River Health, which serves nearly 31,000 people across 1,500 square miles of Garfield and Mesa counties, is seeing unprecedented demand for its services. Visits for primary care, mental health care, physical therapy, emergency care and other services have grown significantly in the past decade.

Officials say limited clinic space has contributed to appointment wait times of up to two months. Some services, such as children’s autism therapy and physical therapy, are housed in temporary or off-site locations. In addition, space limitations prevent the district from recruiting more physicians, therapists and specialists to meet community demand.

If approved, the bond would fund construction of a three-story medical clinic on the northwest corner of the main campus in Rifle, near Airport Road and Megan Avenue. The building would expand patient access to physical therapy, orthopedics, podiatry and other specialty services, while creating room for additional providers.

Vacated areas in the current medical building would be repurposed to expand primary care and mental health services. Plans also include expanding the emergency department, completing shelled space in the surgical unit to allow for robotic and advanced technology, and upgrading the hospital kitchen to meet both patient and Meals on Wheels needs.

All registered voters in the hospital district will decide the following question:

“Without imposing a new tax, shall Grand River Hospital District, Garfield and Mesa counties, Colorado debt be increased $65 million, with a maximum total repayment cost of not more than $153 million for the purposes of:

— constructing, furnishing, and equipping a new medical clinic building to expand physical therapy and other clinic services;
— repurposing vacated space in the existing medical building; and
— completing construction in the surgical suite area to accommodate robotic and advanced technological capabilities;

The Daily Report: All the Garfield County News
News you can trust. Straight to your inbox.

Don’t miss a beat—sign up at PostIndependent.com/newsletter

and for acquiring, constructing or improving any capital assets that the district is authorized by law to own; and shall the taxes authorized at the district’s bond election in 2017 be extended and authorized to be used to pay the debt authorized at this election in addition to the debt authorized at the 2017 election; and shall the mill levy be imposed in any year without limitation of rate but only in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, premium if any, and interest on such debt or any refunding debt, or to create a reserve for such payment; and may such debt be evidenced by the issuance of general obligation bonds or other multiple fiscal year financial obligations, to be sold in one series or more, for a price above or below the principal amount thereof, on terms and conditions, and with such maturities as permitted by law and as the district may determine?”

If approved, the measure would allow the district to issue general obligation bonds or other multi-year financial obligations to be repaid over time, continuing the tax structure voters authorized in 2017.