Amid wind and sunshine, visitors from out of state joined those from down the street to celebrate with a ribbon cutting, some remarks and the gift of a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as people gathered around a lectern in the parking lot.

About 250 people gathered, chattering excitedly and eager to see the new hospital.

According to Erik Christenson, the hospital’s CEO, having a new hospital will bring experienced healthcare workers.

“The reason it attracts healthcare workers is that it shows a commitment to investment in the healthcare system. Then young people who are waiting to start a healthcare career know that (the hospital) is going to be there for years to come,” he said.

Ben Pifher/MDN Erik Christenson, Heart of America Medical Center CEO, center, holds a giant pair of scissors to cut the ribbon for the new hospital in Rugby on Tuesday. To Christenson’s left is Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, and Dr. Basil Gooden, undersecretary for USDA Rural Development.

He said this investment in quality healthcare facilities shows workers the community is willing to put in the effort to take care of its healthcare workers, so recent graduates and new healthcare professionals are more willing to come to these communities.

“I want to thank all of the partners involved in seeing this project through from start to finish, who worked with us to secure $55 million in federal funding and make this tremendous facility a reality for Rugby and the surrounding communities,” Hoeven said. “This medical center is not only an investment in the health and well-being of local residents, but will help ensure this region remains vibrant for years to come.”

Christenson said part of the benefit of the new building is the hospital will get reimbursed for the depreciation of the building. The new building will mean more reimbursement for the hospital.

“We will be able to be a little more efficient with staffing with the smaller building,” he added. He explained the new building is about half the size of the former one and will be more efficient. “This building will allow us to be closer to being fully staffed,” he said.

Throughout the event, members of the community continually approached Christenson, excited after touring the state-of-the-art facility.

Christenson said the biggest problem facing rural Americans today is access to staff capable of providing the care needed.

“If you have a heart attack and you’re an hour away from healthcare, that’s a huge issue,” he said. “It raises mortality rates, morbidity rates and studies have shown that the death rate goes way up when you don’t have healthcare in the community, so access is huge.”

He said the reason access is limited is because there aren’t people practicing in the smaller areas. Part of the reason for that, according to Christenson, is new, updated facilities aren’t available for workers and the older facilities aren’t conducive to modern medicine.

Each speaker at the event made the same key point – that this new facility will make life easier for the healthcare workers and make Rugby an attractive place for skilled healthcare professionals to work.