Staff Reports
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Senior Advisor Mark Cruz and Indian Health Service Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton visited the Navajo Nation March 12 to tour the selected Gamerco, N.M., site for the future replacement of the Gallup Indian Medical Center.
The visit included a project overview led by Navajo Department of Health Executive Director Sherylene Yazzie and representatives from the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, giving federal officials a firsthand look at the proposed hospital location and planning underway for what is expected to become one of the largest tribal hospital campuses in the U.S.
“The replacement of the Gallup Indian Medical Center remains the Navajo Nation’s number one healthcare infrastructure priority,” Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said. “This project is essential to ensuring our families and future generations have access to the modern healthcare facility they deserve. We appreciate Secretary Kennedy and his team for their continued partnership in moving this effort forward.”
Navajo leaders emphasized the need to restore $60 million in federal funding originally allocated to begin the planning phase. Once secured, the Indian Health Service will initiate a 90-day Site Selection Evaluation Report to finalize the project location and advance the effort toward design and construction.
“This visit reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to improving healthcare for the Navajo people,” Yazzie said. “For too long, our patients, elders, and healthcare workers have carried the burden of an aging facility. A new Gallup Indian Medical Center represents hope, progress, and dignity in care for our communities.”
The Navajo region is the largest service area within the IHS, spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and serving more than 423,000 Navajo citizens. The system includes federally operated IHS facilities, tribally operated programs, and Urban Indian health organizations, creating one of the most complex tribal healthcare networks in the country. The new GIMC campus will serve thousands of patients across the Four Corners region and neighboring tribal nations.
“Secretary Kennedy and the Trump Administration are committed to making America healthy again,” Cruz said. “That includes ensuring the Indian Health Service has modern facilities to deliver high-quality care. On behalf of Secretary Kennedy, I appreciated the opportunity to visit Gallup Indian Medical Center and see its work firsthand. I look forward to continuing HHS’ collaboration with the Navajo Nation to strengthen healthcare services and improve health outcomes across Indian Country.”
Navajo leaders also thanked the City of Gallup and McKinley County for their continued support. The 570-acre Gamerco site is envisioned as a regional healthcare campus designed to serve thousands of Native patients, with room for expanded services including behavioral health, long-term care, wellness and childcare facilities, retail services, and housing for medical staff and their families.
“The 25th Navajo Nation Council selected the Gamerco site because it is ready for construction,” Health, Education, and Human Services Committee Chairman Vince James said. “Our communities have waited long enough for modern healthcare facilities. Restoring the original $60 million in federal planning funds will allow us to move forward and bring this long-awaited hospital closer to reality. This land holds tremendous promise, and we stand united in support of a new GIMC for the Navajo people.”
The site was approved by the Navajo Nation Council’s Naabik’íyáti’ Committee in June 2024, replacing the previously identified Rehoboth location due to concerns related to land size, transportation access, zoning, cultural considerations, and drainage. The Gamerco site was selected because it is Navajo Nation-owned land with existing infrastructure to support development.
“We appreciate Secretary Kennedy for standing with Tribal Nations and recognizing the healthcare challenges our people face every day,” Council Delegate Germaine Simonson said. “Our teachings remind us that the Holy People intended for our people to live long, healthy lives — even reaching the age of 102 — supported by good food, strong families, and balanced living. Building a new Gallup Indian Medical Center will help restore hope and create a healthier future for the Navajo people.”
In May 2024, Nygren formally notified former IHS Director Roselyn Tso of the Nation’s updated site selection and requested continued federal support to secure full funding for the replacement facility.
“Water and sewer infrastructure are already in place at the Gamerco site, and the location provides strong capacity for development,” Rear Admiral Brian Johnson said. “With direct access from Highway 491 serving many Navajo communities, the site offers an important opportunity to improve regional access to healthcare services.”
Representatives for U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., attended the site visit alongside Navajo Area Indian Health Service officials, engineers, construction specialists, and other federal and tribal partners supporting the hospital project.
With the Gamerco site ready for development, Nygren and the 25th Navajo Nation Council, in partnership with the Navajo Department of Health, are planning a future groundbreaking ceremony as the project moves into the planning, design, and construction phases.
“It’s an exciting moment for the Indian Health Service and the future of healthcare in the Navajo area,” IHS Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton said. “We are planning for the next 50 years, and this facility will help shape how care is delivered for generations of Navajo families and communities across Indian Country.”
Yazzie said the progress reflects the Navajo Nation’s determination to strengthen healthcare across the Nation.
“This effort shows what is possible when Navajo and federal leaders move forward with a shared purpose,” Yazzie said. “We will keep building that momentum so the next generation of Navajo families can experience a Gallup Indian Medical Center that reflects the Navajo Healing Navajo mission and provides modern care closer to home.”
