Residents Say They Look Forward to Having Hospital, Provider Offices Nearby
Residents of Vail, and Tucson’s eastside and surrounding areas will have easier access to healthcare, when Northwest Medical Center Houghton officially opens for business, right in their neighborhood this winter.
The new hospital buzz is not lost on the residents who have long been a part of this quickly
growing area.
“It’s going to be really nice to have a hospital nearby,” said Vail resident Tina Craig. She and her family have lived in the Vail area the past 11 years.
Craig said the closest emergency care right now is a long drive.
“It will be great to have a hospital and provider offices nearby. It’s important for people to have options,” said Craig.
The new hospital, at Houghton Road and Old Spanish Trail, will be a 180,000 square-foot, 52-bed facility, offering inpatient care, emergency care, surgery, labor and delivery services, and outpatient therapies. The adjacent on-campus office buildings will be physician offices that should open early in 2022, including specialists in orthopedics, OB/GYN, general surgery, cardiology, and primary care.
“We opened Northwest Emergency Center at Vail nearly six years ago and have been providing the area with emergency care ever since,” said Brian Sinotte, Market CEO of Northwest Healthcare. “We’re so proud to be expanding our care to include full hospital services just a few miles up the road.”
Northwest Healthcare first came to Southern Arizona in 1983 when Northwest Medical Center was built, expanded in 2005 when Oro Valley Hospital opened, and further expanded with a third hospital, Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita just recently in November of 2020.
The new hospital is expected to employ several hundred people, including nurses, physicians and support staff workers, said Sinotte.
“Vail is one of the fastest growing communities in our region, and we’re excited to bring a full spectrum of care closer to home,” said Chad Hatfield, chief executive officer for Northwest Medical Center Houghton.
“We look forward to being an integral part of Tucson’s eastside and Vail communities,” said Sinotte.
