In many areas of the country, access to high-quality healthcare can be a challenge for residents of rural communities. According to the Stanford University School of Medicine, approximately 20 percent of the nation’s population lives in rural communities, yet fewer than 10 percent of physicians practice in these areas. Residents in rural communities typically have to travel greater distances to access healthcare and may still find limited services.
A Vision for Enhancing Rural Healthcare in Central Oklahoma
In Bristow, Oklahoma, a community with a population of approximately 4,000, forward-thinking city officials are planning a new hospital that will enhance and expand healthcare delivery within this rural region. The two-story, 52,000-square-foot hospital will replace an existing, 19,000 square-foot facility that opened in 1954. The new Bristow Medical Center will feature two operating rooms, an emergency department, an imaging department, a 14-bed nursing unit, a full-service outpatient rehabilitation department, and medical clinics that will allow for eight providers.
Located in a scenic park overlooking Lake Massena, the building will be sited to optimize views of this serene setting. The 1950s-era building will be demolished, and another 1970s-era medical office building on the site will be transformed into a new administrative facility. That effort includes adding all new windows to a formerly dark, windowless structure.
Rural Prosperity Begins with Healthy People
The city is currently working to procure federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which invests in rural hospitals, clinics, and treatment centers through its Community Facilities Loan Programs. According to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, “…building a prosperous rural America begins with healthy people. Ensuring that rural communities have access to quality medical care is a top priority for USDA.”
With expanded services soon available in a modern, well-equipped hospital, residents in Bristow and surrounding communities will have access to high-quality healthcare close to home, rather than a 33-mile drive northeast to Tulsa. Working directly with the city and with Bristow Endeavor Healthcare, LLC, we are creating a state-of-the-art medical environment that will help redefine rural healthcare for this region now and in the future.
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