Northern Arizona Healthcare is planning a state-of-the-art hospital, ambulatory care center and wellness village to provide high-quality health care to the residents of northern Arizona.
Our current Flagstaff Medical Center has served the community well for the past five decades, but the structure is nearing the end of its lifecycle and cannot continue to be upgraded to provide a modern standard of care to meet the needs of a growing region.
Population growth, emerging technology and new standards of health care necessitate a new facility. Read more in our FAQ. The hospital at the Health and Wellness Village will offer private rooms for every patient, the ability to turn any room into an ICU if needed, and a modern emergency department that will be more efficient.
Flagstaff City Council approved rezoning for the hospital and ambulatory care center June 6, 2023. Read the development agreement between NAH and the City of Flagstaff. The region deserves the facts about the new facility, not the unfounded claims some people are pushing to try to stall the project. Get the facts below, or download a flyer.
Taxpayer cost claim
Flagstaff residents will need to pay an estimated $100 million in upfront costs.
Taxpayer cost fact
The City of Flagstaff will pay for half of a new fire station (~$4.5 million), as well as the operational costs to staff and operate the new/expanded station (~$1.4 million annually). NAH will pay for the other half, and before the new hospital opens it will generate more than $8 million in fees and taxes, which the city can use to pay for its half of the fire station costs.
Underpass claim
NAH’s development is requiring an underpass to be constructed beneath I-17.
Underpass fact
The Traffic Impact Analysis does not indicate that the I-17 underpass is required for the NAH development; discussion of the underpass is because it is in the regional plan, even if NAH does not construct a hospital in the area.
Sustainability claim
NAH’s development will prevent Flagstaff from achieving its Carbon Reduction Action Plan goals.
Sustainability fact
The new hospital will significantly reduce NAH’s operational carbon footprint, and is critical to NAH’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Transportation funding claim
The City of Flagstaff is responsible for the matching funds tied to the RAISE grant.
Transportation funding fact
NAH is responsible for any required local funds (whether they be matching or costs in excess of an awarded grant amount).
Retention claim
There is an extreme exodus from NAH, and only being replaced with temporary/contract labor.
Retention fact
Over the last year our turnover has decreased to 22% annually. That figure is better than the national average for health care employers. The percentage of our workforce comprised of contract labor is down below 7%, steadily decreasing since the first quarter of 2022.
Financial claim
NAH is spending health care dollars on non-health care development, spending its capital to construct a Health & Wellness Village.
Financial fact
Outside of the hospital, ambulatory care center, and required infrastructure improvements, all development will be funded through partnerships.