A $55 million revenue bond has been approved by members of the El Paso County Commission to upgrade an existing medical facility on the east side of El Paso.
That facility is the former home of the Legent Health Hospital, which closed unexpectedly earlier this winter.
The bond will allow the University Medical Center of El Paso to build space for up to 60 beds, half a dozen operating rooms, two procedure rooms, and one catheterization lab.
Reports indicated that UMC was interested in the Legent facility at 1416 George Dieter Drive almost as soon as the hospital ceased operations. The move appeared particularly advantageous for UMC after it failed to secure a $345 million bond last year to pay for facility expansion work.
The mostly one-story Legent building was formerly the home of the Foundation Surgical Hospital of El Paso.
UMC officials have said that they need the space that the Legent structure will provide simply owing to an ongoing increased demand for patient services. Last year UMC saw around 1,300 patients a month.
By Garry Boulard
