Dedication and ribbon cutting ceremonies for the new Covenant Hobbs Health Hospital took place on Thursday, September 8. The celebration set the stage for Wednesday, September 28, the day the new hospital will begin seeing patients.

The Lea Regional Medical Center will close its doors in the forthcoming weeks after patients and staff have transitioned to the new world-class facility.

“The new hospital is making Lea County the healthcare hub of Southeastern New Mexico, helping to diversify the local community…,” said Jennifer Grassham, President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County as she addressed those in attendance at the dedication ceremony.

Hospital Services

“The hospital will offer emergency services, OBGYN specialists, labor and delivery, and general surgeries,” states an article posted at KCBD.com.

Covenant’s goal with the new hospital is to reduce the number of New Mexicans living in the southeastern region of the state who currently are forced to travel to Lubbock for health care. Right now some 22% of the patients seen in Lubbock are actually from Eastern New Mexico.

Covenant’s Regional Chief Executive Officer Walt Cathey points out that the new hospital in Hobbs will not completely eliminate the need for area folk to travel to Lubbock. Cathey is quoted in the KCBD news article as saying, “‘If you really need expert services, that’s when you need to come to Lubbock Texas, but for general cardiology, orthopedic, OB care, that stuff needs to belong inside a community and that’s what we are really trying to build out here [in Hobbs].’”

Covenant a Part of Providence Health

Covenant Health is part of the non-profit Providence St. Joseph Health, the third-largest faith-based health care system in the United States.

At the dedication ceremony Providence Health’s Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Erik Wexler spoke about the importance of the new Covenant Hobbs Health Hospital to Lea County and neighboring areas of Southeastern New Mexico. 

CEO Wexler talked about the women of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Sisters of Providence who nearly 200 years ago came to the United States to establish a health care system. These women started in “rural country not in places that were overpopulated,” said Wexler. “They went to the places where health care was desperately needed.”

CEO Wexler continued that through the new hospital the healing ministry that the sisters initiated so many years ago is now being extended to Hobbs, Lea County and neighboring areas. “We are so honored that this building will extend that ministry and our healing, spiritual nature…,” he said.

Whole Body Care 

The new hospital is about a lot more than equipment and hardware. It is about what is known as “whole body care”. It’s about “mind, body and spirit,”said Wexler.

At its website Covenant Health singles itself out as “…the only integrated health network in the region dedicated to a Christian mission of healing by caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit – and by working with others to improve health and quality of life in our communities.”

The New Facility 

The new approximate 109,000 square foot facility is built on 27 acres. “It’s going to be the largest hospital in this community. That’s what we are really trying to build here – a full health system. It starts with the hospital…,” stated CEO Cathey when he spoke at the dedication ceremony. “There’s been a 65 million dollar investment in this community. … We take care of everybody. That’s really important to us.”

Cathey reminded all that Covenant has been serving the West Texas and Southwestern New Mexico areas for over 100 years, making sure that “health care is delivered the right way. Improving health is what Covenant Health is about.”

JF Maddox Foundation Donated $6.3 Million

TJ Parks, Interim CEO of the JF Maddox Foundation and former superintendent of Hobbs Municipal Schools, also spoke at the ceremony. Parks stated that the JF Maddox Foundation donated $6.3 million to the project. Parks talked about some of the new hospital’s special features – its community room, education training room and activity points. “These connect the hospital and the community. We as a community have to support them,” said Parks.

Parks emphasized that the JF Maddox Foundation concentrates on improving the quality of life for the residents of Lea County. He commented that Covenant Hobbs Health is only a beginning. The foundation’s work is ongoing, always looking for opportunities to partner with the county in efforts to benefit area residents.

Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb

During his remarks Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb provided some insight as to how the vision for the new hospital evolved. Mayor Cobb said that all of the communities in Lea County, as well as the county itself, came together in November of 2016 to brainstorm about what could be done to improve health care in Lea County. “The result of that, one of our dreams, was a new hospital,” said the mayor.

Mayor Cobb continued that David Shaw, CEO/Administrator of Nor-Lea Hospital District, was instrumental in making the dream a reality. Shaw introduced Mayor Cobb and his team to retired Regional Chief of Covenant Health Richard Parks. Together these individuals collaborated to develop a plan, first for Covenant to purchase Lea Regional Medical Center and then to build what is today – Covenant Hobbs Health Hospital.

All of this is a dream come true. “Not only is it the health care side but for economic development. I think it’s very interesting for us to appreciate Covenant’s investment in our community,” said Mayor Cobb, referring to the project as truly a “team effort”.

Videos of both the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremonies are posted at the Hobbs Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.