Photo by Nelda Curtiss Denise Esquibel, Licensed Practical Nurse at Rio Grande Hospital Clinic, comforts Sydney Woodke, daughter of Aaron and Kim Woodke, during the clinic grand opening on Saturday. Sydney’s mom is a physician assistant in the new clinic built on the vision of Dr. Norman Haug.

300 citizens tour facility



By NELDA CURTISS

DEL NORTE — Dr. Norman Haug’s dream was not deferred when he died May 6, 2007. In fact, his vision of a clinic in Rio Grande County was carried on by those who loved him most.

His vision became a reality on Saturday, when more than 300 people gathered for the opening prayer and remarks by Dr. Jon Peterson who carried on Haug’s dream at the Rio Grande Hospital and Clinic.

“This hospital and clinic serves out of passion for the community,” said Dr. Peterson. “The bottom-line is that caring for people makes me a physician,” he said.

Summing up his predecessor’s professional life, Peterson recounted the adage that drove Dr. Haug who died before he could see his dream come to fruition. “Dr. Haug would tell us to live our lives as Christ would have us do,” and not be persuaded by “politics.”

Stressing Dr. Haug’s commitment to the community and his faith, Peterson reviewed how his own faith and friendship with Dr. Haug brought him to the Valley from Houston, Texas. Then he prayed that the clinic would serve the San Luis Valley in the way that Dr. Haug had envisioned.

After introducing his family, James Haug, son of Dr. Haug, spoke about his father’s dream and commitment to the community. “The people are the best of my dad’s dream,” he said of his own experience in his residency at the Rio Grande Hospital.

Arlene Harms, CEO of Rio Grande Hospital and Clinic, praised the work of the board of directors, the architects and many others. Remembering a humorous moment when the construction needed more dirt to build inches on the site, she said, “SLV Earth Movers came through for us.” As they were maneuvering dirt around, a gas line was breached which flooded the area with natural gas. Harms remembers how she ran into the clinic yelling, “Don’t let anyone smoke!”

To the contractors and workers with SLV Earth Movers, Harms said, “SLV Earth Movers donated dirt, time and labor for the task. We recognize all that you’ve done for us.”

Before dismissing the crowd, Harms read from U.S. Representative John Salazar’s congratulatory letter to the clinic. “I was proud to support this project last spring when the Valley Citizens Foundation for Health Care applied to USDA-Rural Development for a grant to help provide equipment for this facility. As a lifelong resident of the San Luis Valley, I am very familiar with the challenges of providing quality healthcare to the region’s citizens, with our long travel distances, disproportionate energy costs and difficulty in retaining rural physicians. Thanks to the vision of Dr. Norman Haug, and the hard work of all of you attending today’s ceremony, Del Norte can now boast a modern clinic facility to complement the Rio Grande Hospital complex.”

Harms acknowledged many others including the architects Mark Johnson and Dave Friedman, The Neenan Company, Deb Downs with the DOLA grant, Mineral/Rio Grande Healthcare Foundation, Colorado Rural Health Center, Ronnie and Annie Martinez, Caring for Colorado, Boettcher, Coors, El Pomar, HUD, Red Capital and Allen Davey with the Board of Directors.

Harms said, “We finished the clinic under budget and on time. Of course, this could never have come to be without the support of the community. Thank you for your donations, for your support and for the many times you have come to me and said, ‘We’re so proud.’”

President of the Board, Davey said, “Dr. Haug was a very close friend, a constant counselor, and encourager of the board, as well as a mentor.”

“Hobo” and Margaret Cargill of Monte Vista enjoyed the presentation and tour of the clinic. Margaret said, “I used to drive for the senior center and would bring patients to Dr. Haug’s office. This is a great asset for the community and for the senior citizens.”

Resident Betty Buttman who moved to the Valley in 1970 said of the new clinic, “It’s wonderful! I took my husband to the hospital with his heart attacks; I’m thankful we have a clinic here, now.”