Rugby Heart of America Medical Center

Heart of America Medical Center (HAMC) provides crucial medical services to more than 13,000 people within a 50-mile radius of Rugby, North Dakota. Founded in 1905 by a group of dedicated ministers, their efforts are sustained by Good Samaritan Hospital Association, a non-denominational, non-profit organization supported by 27 area churches. To further meet the growth in their region, HAMC worked with JLG Architects to explore schematic design and financial solutions that would address their aging facility built in the 1940s with wings added on in 1964, 1973, and 1991. As a result of fragmented additions and inefficient use of the larger space, HAMC was challenged with missed Medicare reimbursement, as well as ongoing and costly maintenance issues. In 2021, the Good Samaritan Hospital Association approved JLG’s plans to build a new 77,000 SF critical access hospital that is scheduled to break ground in mid-2022. With a campus site selected on the east side of the City, JLG has moved forward in the facility’s design, creating a right-sized solution that will cut wasted space, improve the Center’s bottom line, and increase Medicare reimbursement. The solution provides a better patient and provider experience that reworks the entire infrastructure of a community for more reliable healthcare availability, creating a café, clinic, and wellness center that will attract new residents and help retain aging residents with higher levels of care.