The original hospital is now the Cordova Electric Cooperative building. The front desk of the Community College was the nurse's station, and the CEC offices were business, emergency, delivery, and operation rooms, while the doctor's offices were in the basement. In 1979, problems occured when the Federal and State Government realized our hospital was not up to code, and those agencies threatened to close the hospital down if it could not meet existing codes.

Hollis Hendricks, the vice- mayor of the Cordova city council worked with Ed Zeine (the hospital administrator) and two District Representatives to have the State do a study of other hospitals for comparison. The State then sent a contractor in to determine whether they should repair the current hospital or build a new one. The contractor said it would be best to build a new hospital.

Problems occurred when Governor Bill Chefield was appointed because he was opposed to the construction of a new hospital facility in Cordova. Through a lot of hard work the hospital board was able to change his first impressions. Governor Chefield funded $8,000,000 to the building of the new hospital. Ed Zeine said it was not nearly enough; but the newly appointed Governor assured him he would grant the rest of the funding needed the following year. He kept his word. The Chairman of Providence Hospital, MoKadish, was a friend of Bill Chefield and helped gain access to the proper equipment needed for the new hospital.

The location of the new hospital was originally going to be built on Whiskey Ridge; residents of the area were against it because they thought it would disrupt the peace, due to ambulance calls. The new hospital was built at its present location because the land was available and had better accessibility in the event of an emergency. The new hospital location is off of the Copper River Highway at 602 Chase Avenue.

The Cordova Community Medical Center was official opened on May 31, 1986. Senator Jay Kerttula, Representative Bette Cato, and Administrator Edward Zeine used a pair of golden - scissors to cut the red ribbon, as an official opening of the hospital.

"These scissors were used to cut ribbon during the dedication ceremony on

May 31, 1986 By Senator Jay Kerttula

Representative Bette Cato

Administrator Edward Zeine"