PRESIDIO — At Wednesday’s Presidio County Commissioners Court meeting, Lynette Brehm of the Big Bend Regional Hospital District (BBRHD) announced that a clinic that had abruptly closed in February would reopen by early summer, thanks to Hamilton Health Box, a company that runs private hybrid in-person and telemedicine clinics.
In late February, a sign was posted on the door at the Big Bend Regional Medical Center clinic on O’Reilly Street announcing the resignation of Dr. David Sanchez. “We understand this news might cause disappointment for you,” the notice read. “Our team will continue to be here in Alpine, providing you with onsite medical care, after-hours support, prescription management, specialty care referrals, and overall health and wellness support.”
Rob Nelson, CEO of Big Bend Regional Medical Center, explained in an email to The Sentinel that the clinic couldn’t survive without Sanchez. “Providing healthcare in rural areas presents unique challenges, and we are not alone in facing difficulties in recruiting and retaining providers,” Nelson wrote. “These challenges are particularly acute in regions like Presidio. Like many rural health clinics, the Presidio location faced low patient volume. When the clinic’s provider left, keeping the office open was no longer possible. We chose this location to improve access to care, and the decision to close it was not made lightly. However, without a dedicated provider, continuing operations was simply not sustainable.”
Chris King, chief development officer at Hamilton Health Box, confirmed that the company would be opening a clinic in Presidio, hopefully by the end of May — and that a similar outfit could be coming to Marfa. The company has earned a reputation for innovative rural healthcare by opening low-overhead hybrid clinics on jobsites and in remote communities and was brought to the area in part by the efforts of BBRHD board member Reagan Reed, who saw the need for a sustainable primary care operation in South Brewster County.
The company celebrated the opening of its Bravo Health Terlingua location on Monday, staffed in-person by local nurse Ashley Grover. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and can be made by calling 432-300-5175.