Happening today, October 14, 2022 for students. Community event tomorrow, October 15, 2022. See flyer above or you may call (928) 755-4712 for more information.
The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) Awards Ceremony
Navajo Health Foundation – Sage Memorial Hospital, Inc. was awarded the Dr. Daniel T. Cloud First Time Teen Cloud Award. TAPI honored 126 individuals, organizations, and initiatives during the 2022 Arizona Big Shots awards ceremony.
Charlotte Seaton, RN Supervisor, and Geneva Spencer, Lead CPhT, attended the awards ceremony and accepted the Dr. Daniel T. Cloud First Time Teen Cloud Award presented to Sage Memorial Hospital. Receiving the Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Award were healthcare providers that achieved a minimum 90% coverage level of their two-year-old patients (4 DTaP, 3 Polio, 1 MMR, 3 Hib, 3 Hep B, and 1 Varicella) and teen patients (1 Tdap and 1 MCV4).
Sage Memorial Hospital Selected as Arizona’s 2025 Community Star in Recognition of the Power of Rural
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2025
GANADO, Ariz. – Sage Memorial Hospital is proud to announce that it has been named Arizona’s 2025 Community Star by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) as part of the annual Community Star Recognition Program. The honor was officially unveiled today, November 20, 2025, on National Rural Health Day.
The Community Star Recognition Program, launched in 2015 and celebrated each year in conjunction with National Rural Health Day, highlights individuals and organizations that embody the “Power of Rural” through extraordinary leadership, innovation, and dedication to improving health in rural communities. This year’s theme, Moving the Power of Rural Forward, honors the people and places committed to helping rural America thrive.
Located on the Navajo Nation in Ganado, Arizona, Sage Memorial Hospital is the nation’s first Native-managed comprehensive health care system. Serving one of the most remote and underserved regions in the United States, SMH provides critical inpatient, outpatient, emergency, dental, and specialty services while honoring Diné values of K’é, respect, and harmony. In recent years, the hospital has opened a state-of-the-art self-funded $177 million facility, expanded its health services, and strengthened partnerships with other healthcare providers—all to advance its mission of delivering quality health care.
“We are deeply humbled and honored to be selected as Arizona’s Community Star,” said Melinda White, Chief Executive Officer. “It reflects the relentless dedication of our staff and the persistent leadership and resolute support of our Board of Directors. Together we are united in our mission to care for our relatives, empowered by our Tribal sovereignty to exercise self-determination in health and healing. We provide a healing path that overcomes the challenges of rural healthcare to bring excellence and compassionate care closer to home.”
2025 Community Stars
The Community Stars recognition program honors individuals and organizations going above and beyond to improve rural health across the nation. From doctors, nurses, and public health leaders to hospitals, educators, emergency responders, and community-based organizations, these Stars reflect the incredible people and organizations making a difference.
Spanning 47 states, this year’s Community Stars embody the Power of Rural through their compassion, innovation, and collaboration. Each Star, selected by State Offices of Rural Health and other rural advocates, represents a story of leadership and resilience; proof that extraordinary things happen when rural communities come together. The full list of 2025 Community Stars and their stories can be found at: https://powerofrural.org/2025-community-stars/
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Sage Memorial Hospital Wins Prestigious 2025 ENR Southwest Best Health Care Project Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sage Memorial Hospital has been named the winner of the 2025 Best Projects Award in the Health Care category by Engineering News-Record (ENR) Southwest. This recognition highlights the hospital’s new facility as an exemplary project in design, construction, and community impact, selected by a panel of industry experts from across the southwest, which includes Arizona and New Mexico.
The project was featured in the October 27, 2025, issue of ENR Mountain States & Southwest and celebrated at the Best Projects Awards Luncheon on November 13, 2025, at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. This win also makes Sage Memorial Hospital automatically eligible for ENR’s national Best of the Best Awards, to be announced in spring 2026 in New York City.
The award-winning project includes a new 140,296 sq. ft. hospital. The main hospital (95,614 sq. ft.) opened Sept. 30, 2025; the medical office building (39,797 sq. ft.) opened Nov. 9, 2025; and a 4,885 sq. ft. (Human Resources building) was added.
The facility features 16 inpatient beds (seven swing beds), two operating rooms with eight pre/post-op bays, three labor and delivery rooms, two postpartum rooms and a four-bed ICU. The 24/7 ER has two trauma bays and eight exam rooms supported by CT, MRI, mammography, DXA, X-ray and ultrasound with echocardiography. It also offers 30 outpatient exam rooms (including telehealth), five specialty clinics, full rehabilitation therapy, nine optometry rooms,12 dental operatories, a complete pharmacy and lab/microbiology services.
To aid staff recruitment in the remote area, the campus added Apartments at Sage, a 27-unit complex with one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
Jarom Prow, Facility Director at Sage Memorial Hospital, shared the following:
“It’s a true honor to accept the ENR Southwest Best Healthcare Project Award on behalf of our entire Sage Memorial Hospital team. This recognition means so much—not just because it celebrates design and construction excellence—but because it represents what happens when talented, dedicated people come together around a shared purpose.
From the very beginning, this project was guided by a purpose greater than bricks and steel. It was built to be a place of healing, hope, and renewal—a space where our relatives can find comfort, care, and connection. Every decision, every design element, and every hour of hard work was done with that intention in mind.
I thank the incredible team who made this vision possible—the architects, Hoefer Welker, the owner’s rep, Brad Oliver, our construction partners at Layton Construction and our outstanding Sage Memorial leadership (From the Board of Directors, the CEO and Executive Team). Each of them brought creativity, discipline, and heart to this project. The collaboration, respect, and commitment that carried us from concept to completion are truly remarkable. (To Layton, thank you for taking on this challenging project, however one person stood out, Luke Haplin Project Manger. I want to personally acknowledge his professionalism and dedication to his projects… He embodies the true meaning of project ownership and accountability).
This project reflects the strength of our collaboration and the spirit of our community. It honors our Diné traditions while looking toward the future. It stands as a reminder that when we build with heart and with purpose, we create more than buildings—we create healing environments that nurture the body, mind, and spirit.
To everyone who contributed to this effort—thank you for believing in this vision. And to ENR, thank you for recognizing the deeper meaning behind this work.
This award belongs to all of us, and to the Diné people- our relatives we serve, whose wellbeing and healing journey inspire everything we do.
ahéheeʼ nitsaago”
Sage Memorial Hospital receives 2025 AzHHA Quality Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2025
GANADO, Ariz. – Sage Memorial Hospital is proud to share we have been recognized as a 2025 AzHHA Quality Award winner.
The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) announced the winners of its Third Annual Quality Awards at the 2024 Quality Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. These awards were created to recognize Arizona’s leaders who are committed to advancing healthcare through exceptional quality performance, community engagement and a culture of continuous improvement.
Sage Memorial Hospital is proud share we have been recognized as a 2025 AzHHA Quality Award winner. We received the Outstanding Patient/Community Impact award in the 25 beds or less classification. The Outstanding Patient/Community Impact award is to recognize outcomes that directly affect patients, reducing hospital acquired infection rates, fall rates, maternal health, mental health, patient safety, quality, equitable and respectful care and patient and family advisory councils.
“The quality of submissions and winners reflect the tremendous work that is happening in our communities across the state,” said Ann-Marie Alameddin, president and CEO of AzHHA. “Congratulations to our award winners who are working every day to pursue excellence in quality and patient safety.”
To be considered for this award, we submitted Chizh for Elders. This project led to This project led to:
- 48 elder households receiving life-saving wood deliveries plus in-home safety visits
- Zero cold-weather-related hospitalizations among participants
- 100% elder satisfaction in post-delivery surveys
- Seamless integration of fall-risk screenings and medication reviews—delivering truly holistic care
“This small yet powerful gesture prevented our elders from enduring freezing conditions and exemplified the deep compassion and commitment we hold for the communities we serve,” said Melinda White, CEO. “It’s a testament to how purposeful action, rooted in care, can create lasting impact.”
“This award is not just a recognition; it’s a reflection of our values of Bee łá’í ‘dlį (Together/Unity),” White added. “When we come together with purpose, we create meaningful change. Thank you all for your continued commitment to Diné Excellence and community care.”
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Sage Memorial Hospital Launches New Patient Experience Division, Names Christian Bigwater as Chief Patient Experience Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2025
GANADO, Ariz. – Sage Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the creation of its new Patient Experience Division, a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of care and overall patient satisfaction. To lead this transformative effort, the hospital has appointed Christian Bigwater, a seasoned marketing professional with extensive experience in branding and engagement, as the division’s inaugural Chief Patient Experience Officer (CXO).
The Patient Experience Division will work to make every part of a patient’s journey better, from the moment they connect with our messaging, to when they arrive to after they leave and beyond. The team will listen to patients’ feedback, thrive to make services easier to use, and create a warm and caring environment.
Bigwater has worked in marketing for over 22 years. He went to Northern Arizona University, where he earned a degree in marketing. Since February 2023, he has been the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Sage Memorial Hospital. Before that, he worked for 13 years at the Navajo Housing Authority as their Public Relations Coordinator.
“I’m excited to lead this new initiative at Sage Memorial Hospital,” Bigwater said. “Our relatives deserve care that helps their health and respects who they are, their stories, and traditions. We want to make a place where every relative feels listened to, cared for, and respected, so their time with us feels special and important.”
“Sage Memorial Hospital is focused on delivering the best possible experiences for our relatives, and this new division shows that commitment,” said Melinda White, the hospital’s CEO. “With Christian Bigwater’s expertise and connection to our community, we are confident this team will make a big difference for our patients and their families.”
The Patient Experience Division will collaborate with doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff to implement strategies to improve care, including:
- Better communication: Training doctors and nurses to listen well and talk clearly so relatives feel understood and supported.
- Faster visits: Using technology to make it quicker to book appointments and check in at the hospital.
- Special care: Making plans that fit each relative’s unique needs, culture, and preferences.
- Listening to relatives: Using surveys, group talks, and community events to find out what our relatives want and need.
- Respecting culture: Teaching staff about Navajo traditions and values so they can care for relatives in a respectful way.
- Easier access: Sharing clear information about hospital services in different languages, including Navajo, to help relatives understand their care.
For more information about Sage Memorial Hospital and its new Patient Experience Division, visit www.sagememorial.com/experience.
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Join us for a Food Distribution event
Join us for a Food Distribution event
Oct. 6, 2025 | 9 AM – 12 PM
East Campus of Sage Memorial Hospital, Ganado, AZ
Drive-thru service only – stay in your vehicle, and volunteers will load food directly into your trunk or back seat.
Food items may include fresh produce, canned goods, and more!
For more info: Contact Mercede Johnson, Community Health Division (928)654-8037
#FoodDistribution #CommunitySupport #SageMemorialHospital #StMarysFoodBank
