Plains Regional Medical Center outlines rapid growth in services, staffing and technology
May 22, 2026 | Curry County, New Mexico
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Bill Priest, chief executive of Plains Regional Medical Center, told the Curry County Commission on May 28 that the hospital has expanded services and staff in the past two years and is investing in new equipment to keep more care in Clovis and the surrounding area.
"We've got a psychiatrist and a psychologist up there, behavioral health. We didn't have that program 2 years ago," Priest said, outlining hires and new outpatient behavioral health capacity. He said the hospital added full‑time radiation oncology and performed more than 352 cath‑lab procedures in 2025, with a projection to exceed 500 this year.
The hospital reported several utilization changes Priest said he wants the commission to note: patient days rose about 30% from 2023 to 2024 and another 13% from 2024 to 2025; surgeries approach 3,000 annually; and the obstetrics service expects roughly 820 births in 2026, bucking a national downward trend. Priest also said PRMC's emergency department logged about 29,000 visits last year.
Priest described recent capital investments, including a linear accelerator installed as part of a radiation oncology expansion and a new MRI. He estimated the linear accelerator project at about $4.5 million and the MRI at approximately $4.5–$5 million. The hospital also added automation in its retail pharmacy that Priest said can fill roughly 30–40% of prescriptions.
The CEO emphasized workforce and training investments: PRMC ran a MASH camp for students, will launch a six‑week internship this summer for local applicants, and said it has been able to recruit more providers in cardiology, family medicine and specialty care. He also described a community fundraising event, a "cardiac rodeo," intended to expand cardiac‑rehab equipment and space to reduce a waiting list of roughly 38 patients.
Commissioners thanked Priest for the report and praised growth that keeps high‑acuity care closer to county residents. The presentation concluded with a short question period; commissioners noted interest in how the hospital's expansions may reduce air transfers to Lubbock or Amarillo. Priest said additional incremental capacity and community programs remain priorities.
The commission did not take formal action on the report; the presentation was accepted and moved into the packet for follow‑up.
"We've got a psychiatrist and a psychologist up there, behavioral health. We didn't have that program 2 years ago," Priest said, outlining hires and new outpatient behavioral health capacity. He said the hospital added full‑time radiation oncology and performed more than 352 cath‑lab procedures in 2025, with a projection to exceed 500 this year.
The hospital reported several utilization changes Priest said he wants the commission to note: patient days rose about 30% from 2023 to 2024 and another 13% from 2024 to 2025; surgeries approach 3,000 annually; and the obstetrics service expects roughly 820 births in 2026, bucking a national downward trend. Priest also said PRMC's emergency department logged about 29,000 visits last year.
Priest described recent capital investments, including a linear accelerator installed as part of a radiation oncology expansion and a new MRI. He estimated the linear accelerator project at about $4.5 million and the MRI at approximately $4.5–$5 million. The hospital also added automation in its retail pharmacy that Priest said can fill roughly 30–40% of prescriptions.
The CEO emphasized workforce and training investments: PRMC ran a MASH camp for students, will launch a six‑week internship this summer for local applicants, and said it has been able to recruit more providers in cardiology, family medicine and specialty care. He also described a community fundraising event, a "cardiac rodeo," intended to expand cardiac‑rehab equipment and space to reduce a waiting list of roughly 38 patients.
Commissioners thanked Priest for the report and praised growth that keeps high‑acuity care closer to county residents. The presentation concluded with a short question period; commissioners noted interest in how the hospital's expansions may reduce air transfers to Lubbock or Amarillo. Priest said additional incremental capacity and community programs remain priorities.
The commission did not take formal action on the report; the presentation was accepted and moved into the packet for follow‑up.
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