Pender Community Health has been awarded $711,820 from Nebraska’s Rural Health Transformation program to finance the first phase of a renovation that will create additional outpatient specialty and behavioral health space, hospital officials said.
What the grant covers
The grant covers the full cost of phase 1, which relocates administrative offices to renovated lower-level space. That move will free rooms near the facility’s main entrance so they can be converted to clinical exam rooms and behavioral health offices.
- Phase 1: administrative relocation; funded by the $711,820 RHTP award; construction already begun; expected finished by summer 2027.
- Phase 2: convert vacated offices into patient care space; intended to increase specialist capacity and behavioral health availability; hospital hopes to complete phase 2 by the end of 2028.
Capacity and services
Pender Community Health officials said the expansion is intended to relieve capacity limits in the hospital’s existing outpatient specialty services, which have limited exam room availability. When both phases are finished, the facility expects to accommodate two additional specialty providers per day and increase availability for behavioral health appointments.
“This investment is an important step forward in our ability to meet the changing healthcare needs of our community,” said Lara Gamble, CEO of Pender Community Health.
Hospital leaders said demand for outpatient and specialty services has grown and that the renovation will help meet that demand by creating more appointment availability and space for behavioral health care.
Timeline and next steps
Construction on phase 1 has begun, with the grant-funded renovation expected to be completed by summer 2027. After the move of administrative functions, Pender Community Health will begin phase 2 planning and build-out, with a target completion date by the end of 2028.
The award comes from Nebraska’s Rural Health Transformation program, which provides funds to rural providers for projects aimed at strengthening local health care capacity.
