RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City residents now have another option for emergency medical care as Exceptional Community Hospital officially opened its doors Monday, Oct. 12, marking a milestone for health care in the Black Hills.

The hospital welcomed its first patient just 40 minutes after opening, arriving by ambulance. Robert Kunkel, the patient reportedly requested to be taken to the new facility.

Kunkel, who serves as Director of Operations for the hospital’s corporate office, said the opening was particularly memorable because it marked the first time one of the company’s hospitals received its first patient by ambulance.

Exceptional Community Hospital is the company’s ninth hospital and offers an alternative for patients seeking emergency and inpatient medical services in Rapid City.

Kunkel said the goal is not to compete directly with existing medical facilities but to provide additional options and potentially reduce the pressure on other emergency departments. “It’s about choice,” Kunkel said. “We’re not trying to steal any patients from any other hospital.” He added that the new facility could help relieve patient wait times at other hospitals in the area.

The single-story hospital spans approximately 21,000 square feet and includes 10 emergency rooms, a trauma bay, a decontamination room and a dedicated ambulance entrance.

The facility also has eight inpatient beds, including three larger rooms designed to accommodate patients with extended family members who wish to stay nearby. Those rooms feature sleeper sofas, storage space and additional amenities intended to make longer stays more comfortable. Kunkel said family members staying with patients will have access to meals and laundry services.

The hospital has approximately 12 to 15 staff members working at one time and has a full-time pharmacist, an on-site laboratory and diagnostic imaging capabilities, including CT scans, X-rays and ultrasound services.

A surgery center is also planned for the facility, with a possible opening in spring 2027.

Kunkel said the hospital’s location near Interstate 90 provides opportunities to serve Rapid City residents, travelers and surrounding communities, including those traveling between Rapid City and Sturgis.

One of the hospital’s primary goals is to reduce the time patients spend waiting for emergency treatment. “We’re going to push as hard as we can for a zero wait,” Kunkel said. He noted that the first three patients who arrived on opening day were taken directly into emergency treatment rooms without spending time in the waiting area.

Staff members arrived around 5:30 a.m. Monday to make final preparations before opening. Just before 8 a.m., Kunkel and members of the hospital’s management team raised the American flag outside the building.

After months of preparation, Kunkel said seeing the facility begin treating patients was an exciting moment for the entire team.

The hospital’s opening at 1700 Dyess Avenue represents an expansion of emergency medical services available to residents throughout Rapid City and the surrounding Black Hills.

Kunkel said the hospital’s mission is centered on providing another option for patients while delivering timely and personal medical care. “We want to be a choice. We want to make a difference,” Kunkel said.