At least publicly, Newman Regional Health and Stormont Vail have been at odds for a year on Stormont’s plans for a new medical facility, but Newman Regional CEO Cathy Pimple says there is at least a short-term agreement involving Stormont’s Cotton O’Neil Clinic at Newman Regional.
Most terms have not been released, including what factors would trigger an extension, but Pimple says this sets up Cotton O’Neil to stay at Newman Regional through February 2029 if needed. This also means Drs. Christina Faulkner and Deshala Castile, as well as their support staffers, will keep their current office spaces as they transfer from Cotton O’Neil to Newman Regional Health’s staff by the end of this year — but Newman Regional’s specialty clinic will move starting next year.
How this connects to Stormont’s ongoing work to build a $44 million facility near Roads 180 and G is to be determined. Pimple says Stormont “remains resolute” in its plans for a new space, but she also says those conversations will “be open and inclusive enabling community leaders and members to share their feedback and expertise.”
The discussion about a new facility has been in the public for a year and behind the scenes since at least August 2023. Earlier this year, Stormont said it would not include surgery in a new facility, but it plans to include its other current services at the Cotton O’Neil Clinic, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, behavioral health, a range of medical specialty clinics and diagnostic services. Newman Regional Health has been bracing for losses of up to $2 million per year with imaging alone if Stormont builds a standalone medical center.
