In August 2019 Covenant Health announced plans to build a new hospital in Hobbs, with a groundbreaking in January 2021, but on Tuesday Covenant announced it will be in Lea County even sooner by purchasing Lea Regional Medical Center. Tuesday, Covenant signed a purchase agreement with Lea Regional and it corporate owner, Community Health Systems Inc., with an anticipated closing …

Is it a cold or a flu? The common cold is the number one reason for lost work and school time throughout the industrialized world. According to Lea Regional Medical Center officials, the average adult will get two or three colds each year, while children can go through 5-10 cycles. The typical cold starts with sore throat and runny nose, …

Flu cases on the rise in Lea County The New Mexico Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of increased influenza activity in recent weeks. Jenny Bridgforth, RN, BSN, infection preventionist at Lea Regional Medical Center pointed out Hobbs and Lea County are not immune. “We’re just having an influx of flu in our area,” …

Navarro is first baby of year at Lea Regional Jocelyn Nayeli Navarro became the first 2018 baby born in Hobbs and she rested unaware of that fact, while surrounded by her excited sister, grandfather, mother and many other relatives. The newborn’s mother, Hobbs resident Silvana Palomares, 23, didn’t expect she’d have a New Year’s Day baby, despite a Jan. 6 …