Ridgecrest Regional Hospital

In 1932, with his sights set on making a future in Reno, Dr. Thomas A. Drummond stopped en route for gas in the then thriving mining town of Red Mountain. While delayed to patch up the participants of a bar-room brawl, he decided to stay. After a fire destroyed Red Mountain Hospital, he moved to Ridgecrest where the Naval Ordnance Test Station had recently gotten underway. He built a hospital in 1945, later adding an annex and a clinic.

Ridgecrest Hospital in 1945 – Notice the plane in the left hand side of the picture - Dr. Drummond had his own plane and his runway was located in the current Heritage housing development.

In 1962, Dr. Drummond gave the hospital to the community for one dollar. Up to that point, RCH was a “proprietary” hospital – which meant that Dr. Drummond and 5-6 other doctors owned it.

Ridgecrest Community Hospital in 1973 - Official United States Navy Photograph.

RCH expanded over the years – a new wing in 1968, an intensive care unit in 1976, and a four-phased construction during 1987.

Ridgecrest Community Hospital in 1986.

Some other worthwhile projects RRH has implemented include: spearheading the development of Sage Community Health Center in the 1990’s to bring primary care to a greater cross-section of area residents; and the purchase of a state-of-the-art MRI unit in 1998 that is housed in a permanent location at the hospital and is not mobile.

The RCH Foundation, established in 1983, initiated annual golf tournaments, and in 1989 unveiled the bronze cast Tree of Life wall sculpture as a symbol of cooperative giving to ensure excellence in patient care. The Foundation’s hand-carved cherry wood sculpture, the Children’s Kingdom, is built by your generosity and has helped fund projects to enhance the Maternal Child Unit since its inception in 1993. The hospital’s chapel, another gift from the Foundation, has offered solace to patients and their loved ones since 2001.

RRH’s wonderful Pink Ladies Auxiliary members (founded by Jan Hoagland in 1958) have volunteered thousands of hours each year and have raised funds to purchase much needed equipment, as well as sponsoring numerous healthcare scholarships.

In 1997, Ridgecrest Community Hospital’s name was changed to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital to reflect the evolution in the scope of its responsibilities.

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital is continuing to grow into the 21st Century. Plans include a new cafeteria, a new Entrance and Lobby, a new Outpatient Services Center, and a 3-story tower that will contain a new surgery suite, ICU/CCU, Inpatient Beds, and Pediatric beds. The picture above shows the architect’s rendition of the new buildings, and shows the new look of the entrance to the Hospital.