“We need to find somewhere to be.” That was the message representatives of the North Country Healthcare delivered as the Grand Canyon Clinic faces an uncertain future. Funding from the National Parks Service is drying up because of financial problems associated with concessionaire contracts.

If that funding does dry up the clinic may have to move. Representatives of the clinic met with the Town Council on October 21^st and delivered the grim news. The clinic said it would need at least 2500 square feet to operate a scaled down version of what is being provided now at the Grand Canyon. 

About 70% of the patients they see are locals. Tourists make up the rest. It’s not only a crisis for the locals it’s also a problem for the tourist trade as Town Manager Eric Duthie noted, “If you guys close, where would the tourists go?”

Michael Thomas, manager for the Grand Canyon Airport, said they may be able to free up some empty space but he could not make any guarantees.

Fire Board Chairman John Vail noted that there is a substantial amount of undeveloped land in the area and perhaps North Country healthcare could build a new facility.

Tusayan mayor Greg Bryan says he is not sure what the town can do at this point. It largely depends on what the parks service plans to do.

North Country Healthcare is a non-profit 501 C3 and currently it is losing $25,000 a month operating the clinic which provides lab services, family medicine, urgent care, physical therapy, and it operates a pharmacy. One of the reasons it has been able to stay in business is because the National Parks Service has not only provided funding in the past but has provided a building free of charge.