Boulder City Review

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Friday a nearly $14 million loan for the Boulder City Hospital. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development fund and will be used to complete a major renovation and expansion.

Reid’s office originally announced the loan as a grant, but corrected the error this afternoon.

“This USDA (loan) will significantly improve Boulder City Hospital,” said Reid in a statement. “I am pleased that Boulder City residents will have access to the highest quality health care services and facilities. Various elements of hospital will be strengthened, from its emergency department to surgery areas. I will continue to work hard so Nevada communities benefit from the very best resources and amenities.”

According to the USDA, the hospital’s pharmacy, home health, lab and dietary areas will be remodeled, and surgery,  physical therapy, long-term care and the admissions lobby will be renovated and expanded. The emergency department also will be expanded by over 5,100 square feet.

Last July, the nonprofit hospital hoped to secure a 30-year loan, $22 million loan at a 3.58 percent rate, from the USDA’s rural development program. The status of that application is not know at this time, or how the grant fits into the loan.

Pursuit of the loan came four years after locals voted down a measure that would have created a tax district that would have given the hospital a constant, stable funding source. All rural hospitals in Nevada, with the exception of Boulder City Hospital, are supported either by a tax district or a large corporation.