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”

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

Sage Memorial Hospital Presents “Delicious Dine: Wholesome Whole Grains” Event Series

GANADO, Ariz. – Sage Memorial Hospital is excited to announce the “Delicious Dine: Wholesome Whole Grains” event series, celebrating nutritious and culturally significant foods. This culinary experience will feature demonstrations of Stove Top Blue Corn Pine Nut Granola and Blue Corn Mush Parfait, showcasing the versatility and health benefits of whole grains.

The events will take place at the following locations and times:

·       Cornfields Chapter House: May 14, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MDT

·       Ganado Chapter House: May 15, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MDT

·       Steamboat Chapter House: May 28, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MDT

·       Nazlini Chapter House: May 29, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MDT

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about wholesome cooking, sample delicious dishes, and engage with Sage Memorial Hospital’s P4 department staff.

To participate, scan the QR code on event flyers to sign up. For additional details, contact Sage Memorial Hospital’s P4 department at (928) 755-4814.

PRC 72 hour notification form

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