PHOENIX — This week, ABC15 is following up on reporting from Yuma during our 48 Hours on the Border series, which aired in March 2024.
As much of the border sees historically low numbers of illegal crossings, we wanted to follow up with groups like the Regional Center for Border Health, which operated a transition center for four years for asylum-seekers that had just been processed by the U.S. Border Patrol. The idea was to prevent street releases, which some other cities along the border experienced over the past few years.
It's hard to ignore the constant hustle and bustle you'll find in San Luis, Arizona. Whether you're on foot or four wheels, there is a constant flow of people, back and forth, between the U.S. and Mexico.
According to recent numbers from the Greater Yuma Port Authority, roughly 2.3 million people and nearly 3.3 million vehicles crossed through the port last year alone.
That's not to mention the roughly 45,000 full-time residents who call the city home.
But as San Luis continues to grow, so do their needs.
"This community has been disadvantaged in terms of receiving access to care," explains Amanda Aguirre, a former Arizona lawmaker and President and CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Somerton in south Yuma County.
And that's part of the reason why Aguirre and the RCBH have decided to build a hospital in this part of the region; right now, the closest hospital is located in Yuma, a trip that often takes at least half an hour one way.
"And that's if you have a car," says Aguirre. "If you pay for a taxi, you have to pay $50 a trip on top of the wait."
We spoke to Aguirre first in 2023 and then again in 2024 as part of our 48 Hours on the Border series.
Now that their transition center is no longer needed due to much lower border crossings, the RCBH is focusing on new projects, like building a new hospital; they broke ground in January.
"It's really easy for us to get backed up," explained San Luis Fire Department Chief Angel Ramirez, who we last spoke to in March 2024. He told us at the time, when there was an influx of migrants, that transporting patients all the way to Yuma took up precious time and resources.
"We have three ambulances here in San Luis, so our turnaround times for when we go to the hospital from San Luis are two hours, and we still have to continue providing emergency services to our residents here in San Luis."
Aguirre tells us the hospital will have 16 beds, an emergency department, diagnostic services, a pharmacy, and will operate in addition to RCBH's medical mall, which is located right next door in San Luis.
