MUSICIANS JANEY KATZ - Zia Publishing

RebuildingFortBayardBY PAT YOUNGA LONG HISTORY AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND A CARINGHAVEN FOR VETERANS AND OTHER PEOPLE WITH HEALTHcare needs will continue at Fort Bayard Medical Center. It will simply bewearing a new name under GEO Care, Inc. And by early in 2008, it willbe housed in a new state-of-the-art facility as well.Built in the 1860’s, Fort Bayard was home to hundreds of AfricanAmerican soldiers, nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” by the Cheyenne andComanche. The U.S. Army transformed the post into a medical facilityafter noting that the area climate held the promise of good health. It laterbecame a Veterans Administration Hospital, and most recently, a staterunhospital.According to the new Fort Bayard Administrator, Dale Pelton, thefacility will continue to have a distinct veteran’s unit and a separatechemical dependency detox and rehabilitation unit, as well as skillednursing care with a complete rehabilitation therapy department and along-term care unit.above: Fort Bayard will preserve its historic links to the past as it moves into a new era with a proposed state-of-the-art medical facility.72 – SILVER CITY LIFE