Oklahoma politicians reflect on hospital groundbreaking

In 2016, Memorial Hospital and Physician Group in Frederick discontinued patient care and emergency services. Since then, residents have driven between 30 minutes to an hour to get to the nearest medical facility.

After today, that will change.

Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, said in a press release that bringing back the hospital was one of his top priorities.

“Southwest Oklahoma has voiced how important this is, and I’ve done everything in my power to make it happen,” Caldwell said. “Now, six years later, we’re closer than ever to returning a hospital to Tillman County, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, led the charge to implement a transparent application process to distribute American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to projects across the state, the release said.

“For too long, rural hospitals have been left to wither on the vine,” Hilbert said. “Thanks to Rep. Trey Caldwell’s leadership, we injected $25 million into rural communities to restore their access to healthcare. Lives are going to be saved, thanks to this funding.”

Memorial Health of Tillman County will serve people in Tillman County as well as residents of Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa and Cotton counties, totaling around 15,000 people, the release said.

“This is the first time in 50 years that a hospital has been rebuilt after closure, except for one instance in Kansas following a tornado,” Caldwell said. “This is a turning point for rural Oklahoma, and I hope it shows other communities that a lot of good can happen when people work together.”