$70M Mennonite hospital planned for Coamo golf course
With an initial investment of some $70 million, the Mennonite Health System will begin construction of the first and only hospital located on the grounds of a golf course in Puerto Rico.
The facility, which will be established on about 383 acres in the municipality of Coamo, will have 118 rooms, all private and overlooking the Baños de Coamo Parador and Golf Course and the lush mountains that surround the property.
It will take about three years to complete, after all the required permits have been secured, company officials said during a news conference Wednesday.
Through the future hospital, the Mennonite Health System expects to serve 227,000 residents mainly in the towns of Coamo, Villalba, Orocovis, Salinas, Santa Isabel and Juana Díaz.
“We’re committed to patient health. We want to guarantee efficient, professional and compassionate services. These new facilities were designed with the needs of the patient in mind,” said Mennonite Health System Executive Director Pedro Meléndez-Rosario.
“Our goal, in addition to restoring their health, is for patients to enjoy nature during their recovery process,” he added.
Meléndez said in addition to offering medical services, the hospital’s construction will deliver a major economic boost to the southern region with the creation of more than 350 direct jobs in its initial stage, and 500 upon completion of the project, in addition to the more than 500 indirect jobs.
Meanwhile, Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos García-Padilla, described as “historic” the construction of the hospital facilities, which he said are “fundamental” to the town’s new Tourism and Welfare District — a pillar of Coamo’s Strategic Economic Development Plan.
“The Mennonite Hospital will be the epicenter of specialized medical services required by a city in full swing,” he said. “The rehabilitative qualities of the hot springs and the green and relaxing landscape of the Baños de Coamo Parador and Golf Course, will form an essential part of patient recovery and we will become the best city for retirees with our available medical services and superior living environment.”
“This alliance defines the Tourism and Welfare District with new opportunities for rehabilitation, prevention and intervention for Coamo and its region,” García-Padilla said.