Rice Medical Center breaks ground on nearly $34 million expansion

New emergency trauma center and wellness center will expand access to health care in Eagle Lake and surrounding communities

EAGLE LAKE — For Rice Medical Center, the groundbreaking ceremony held Oct. 21 represented more than the beginning of a nearly $34 million construction project. It marked a milestone for a rural hospital that has spent decades serving its community and is now preparing for a new era of growth.

Hospital administrators, physicians, board members and community leaders and supporters gathered to celebrate the planned Emergency Trauma Center and Wellness Center expansion, an investment expected to strengthen health care services for residents of Colorado County and surrounding communities.

The project will include larger emergency treatment areas, expanded rehabi l itation services, behavioral health care, specialty clinics, community wellness programs, and an aquatic therapy pool.

Rice Medical Center CEO Kurt Sunderman said the expansion reflects a vision that began taking shape when he returned to the hospital in 2022.

“When I returned to Rice Medical Center in 2022, we had a vision to change what rural healthcare could look like,” Sunderman said. “We believed our residents deserved more than simply having a hospital nearby. They deserve access to high-quality care, advanced technology and exceptional physicians without having to travel an hour or more down the road.”

Since then, the hospital has expanded services, recruited physicians and invested in technology, positioning itself for growth at a time when many rural hospitals across the country face financial challenges.

“Our team has proven that rural healthcare doesn’t have to mean limited healthcare,” Sunderman said. “There was a time when people questioned if small rural hospitals like ours could survive. Today, we’re not talking about survival. We are talking about growth, innovation and building a future many thought was not possible.”

BUILDING ON YEARS OF COMMITMENT

Rice Medical Center board member John Gertson served as master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking, which began with an invocation by Chaplain Robbin Clipson.

Among the speakers was Dr. Andy Wilson, president of ACP Health, who emphasized the years of planning and commitment that made the expansion possible.

“You may not know, but this has been in the works for many, many years,” Wilson said.

He contrasted Rice Medical Center’s progress with the difficulties facing other rural hospitals.

“Many rural hospitals are unfortunately having to close,” Wilson said. “Many are having meetings somewhere in Texas or across the country, trying to figure out how to keep their doors open.”

During that same period, Wilson said, Rice Medical Center has doubled its patient volume while continuing to provide lifesaving emergency care.

Jamy Dingler, who has served on the hospital’s operating and district boards, credited both current and former board members for decisions that helped make the expansion possible.

“This has been years of careful consideration by the board,” Dingler said. “And not just this board, but decisions made decades ago.”

Dingler said the hospital’s success reflects the work of its staff and providers, along with a commitment to quality patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and responsible financial management.

“We have the best of the best here,” Dingler said.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE HOSPITAL

For Dr. Ramon Cantu, Rice Medical Center’s chief medical officer, the groundbreaking was also an opportunity to recognize the people who have dedicated their careers to serving the community.

Cantu recalled arriving at Rice Medical Center in 2000, when some questioned whether the hospital would remain open.

“When I first got here in 2000, 26 years ago, people asked me, ‘Why do you want to go to Rice Medical? You know they are closing, right?’” Cantu said.

But Cantu said the strength of the hospital has never been determined solely by its physical facilities.

“It’s not the building,” he said. “It’s the heart inside that keeps it going. All the personnel are the true heart and soul of this community in the sense that they want to serve this community.”

Cantu noted that physicians and other medical professionals could pursue opportunities in larger cities but choose to remain in Eagle Lake because of their commitment to the people they serve.

“It’s not about the money,” he said. “They are here because they care.”

He also recognized the contributions of physicians who helped build the hospital’s legacy, including Dr. Raymond Thomas, the Laughlin doctors and Dr. Russell Thomas, whom Cantu described as a mentor.

Cantu praised Sunderman’s leadership, describing him as a CEO dedicated to serving the public.

“Rice Medical Center will continue to be our family caring for yours,” Cantu said.

AN INVESTMENT IN EAGLE LAKE’S FUTURE

Eagle Lake Mayor Anthony Johnson emphasized the expansion’s significance beyond the hospital campus.

Johnson said the construction project and expanded operations are expected to create economic opportunities for the community, including jobs and increased activity for local businesses.

He also pointed to the importance of having quality medical care available close to home, particularly for residents of rural communities who otherwise may face lengthy trips for treatment.

Johnson credited the collaboration among city leaders, health care professionals, local businesses and community supporters for helping bring the project to fruition.

The expansion represents an investment not only in health care but also in Eagle Lake’s long-term economic vitality, Johnson said.

FINANCING THE EXPANSION

As previously reported by the Colorado County Citizen, the project carries an estimated price tag of nearly $34 million.

The Rice Hospital District has committed approximately $10 million toward the expansion, with the remaining costs expected to be financed through revenue bonds repaid with non-tax revenues, according to the hospital.

Construction is expected to begin later this year.

Hospital leaders say the expanded facilities will allow Rice Medical Center to strengthen existing services while providing additional treatment and wellness options for patients throughout the region.

A CONNECTION TO THE PAST

One of the ceremony’s most meaningful moments came when hospital district Chairman Joe Mike Spanihel used a shovel from the groundbreaking ceremony for the original hospital approximately 50 years ago.

Sunderman said the gesture was a tribute to the generations of people whose work and dedication helped sustain Rice Medical Center.

“I can’t think of anyone more fitting to use that original shovel today than our hospital district chairman, Joe Mike Spanihel,” Sunderman said. “Joe Mike represents the history and continuity of this hospital.”

The shovel served as a reminder that the hospital’s future is built on the work of those who came before.

For Sunderman, the expansion is a testament to the determination of a community that refused to give up on its hospital.

“The fact that we are standing here today, breaking ground on a major expansion, rather than talking about closing our doors, says a great deal about the determination of this community,” he said.

And as Spanihel turned the earth with the same shovel used half a century earlier, the ceremony connected Rice Medical Center’s past with its plans to serve future generations.