Eight years after the closing of Tillman County Memorial Hospital, the community of Frederick, Okla., came together with federal, state and local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Comanche County Memorial Hospital.

“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,” Oklahoma State Rep. Trey Caldwell said in a prepared statement. “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.”

To support the construction of Memorial Health of Tillman County Critical Access Hospital, the Legislature appropriated funds through Senate Bill 20XX in 2022. The measure tasked the Rural Hospital Rebuild grant program with distributing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to medical facilities in disproportionately impacted populations.

Additional funding included Congressman Tom Cole securing about $6 million in direct congressional appropriations, $1.8 million from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s Public-Private Partnership (P3) program, and loans from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

“This is a real win for rural Oklahoma,” said Heather Turner, Executive Director of CORE, Commerce. “We Oklahomans know that a true spirit of collaboration exists in our state. I’m glad we were able to showcase that spirit on a larger scale. Congratulations to the community of Frederick and the many people who worked tirelessly to make this a reality.”

The hospital will have five emergency treatment rooms, 10 inpatient beds, physical therapy, radiology, laboratory and space for additional support services.