The proliferation of retail and rooftops on Tucson’s southeast side has prompted the development of a new hospital.
Northwest Healthcare has announced a new 70-bed hospital and related services on the southwest corner of Old Spanish Trail and Houghton Road, bringing with it nearly 600 jobs.
Among the services the 70-bed hospital will have are an emergency room, labor and delivery services, orthopedics and cardiology.
The hospital is expected to have an estimated economic impact of $567 million over five years.
Last year, Northwest Healthcare announced an 18-bed hospital in Sahuarita.
“We stepped outside of our ‘northwest’ footprint more than eight years ago when we opened an urgent care in Green Valley,” said Kevin Stockton, regional president and market CEO for Northwest. “We have long wanted to provide acute-care services for residents on the east side of Tucson.
“With the success of our freestanding emergency room and physician clinics in Vail, this new hospital is a logical and very exciting next step.”
Northwest Healthcare includes Northwest Medical Center, Oro Valley Hospital, Northwest Emergency Centers in Vail and Marana, five Northwest Urgent Care locations, The Women’s Center at Northwest, Northwest Allied Physicians, Desert Cardiology, Northwest Heart & Vascular, Northwest Tucson Surgery Center, Tucson Surgery Center and the Center for Pain Management.
“With the addition of nearly 600 jobs, this expansion of Northwest Healthcare will deepen the health-care assets on the east side of our region,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “Access to quality health care is always a top concern of both area employers and site selectors, and we congratulate Northwest on choosing Tucson and Southern Arizona once again.”
New development has been bustling on the city’s southeast side and in Vail and Sahuarita.
State Trust Land on that side of town was recently opened for development, and homebuilders plan to break ground on new communities in 2019 and 2020.
“There has been increased demand for full-service medical care from the growing population on the southeast side of Tucson and unincorporated Pima County,” said County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
Business has also been growing in this area, along with interest in nearby health services.
“This is a very welcome result of the growth in this part of Tucson,” said Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.
Northwest did not provide a salary range for the jobs, but has applied for the city’s incentive program, which requires companies to invest at least $5 million in facilities or equipment, create at least 25 jobs that pay wages of $52,400 or more and cover at least 75 percent of employee health-insurance premiums.
Pending city of Tucson approval of the incentive, the hospital could be open by 2021.
