(July 28, 2026 – Lares, Puerto Rico) – With a $3 million federal investment, Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón announced the start of construction on the new helipad at Castañer General Hospital in Lares, a project that will strengthen emergency response capabilities and ensure the continuity of essential healthcare services throughout the island's mountainous region.

The Governor made the announcement alongside Lares Mayor Fabián Arroyo; Adjuntas Mayor José Hiram Soto; Senators Roxana Soto Aguilú and Jaimie Barlucea; Acting Executive Director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3), María L. Marín Colón; Chief Executive Officer of Castañer General Hospital, Giovanni E. Ortiz Pagán, MHSA; and Puerto Rico Secretary of Health, Dr. Víctor Ramos.

The $3,013,798 investment is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The new helipad will ensure uninterrupted air ambulance operations and the delivery of critical medical supplies when road access to the hospital becomes impassable, as occurred following Hurricane Maria.

Ground ambulance transportation through the mountainous road network can take more than an hour under normal conditions and may become impossible during severe weather events. The new helipad is expected to reduce emergency transport times to approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

"Today we take an important step toward strengthening access to emergency healthcare services in Puerto Rico's mountain communities. By beginning construction of the new helipad at Castañer General Hospital, we are closing a longstanding gap and bringing timely medical care closer to those who need it most. This new facility will significantly reduce the risk of operational disruptions caused by flooding while ensuring the continuity of air ambulance services and the delivery of critical medical supplies, even when road access to the hospital is cut off, as happened after Hurricane Maria. We will continue investing in life-saving infrastructure because where a person lives should never determine how quickly they receive emergency medical care," Governor González-Colón said.

Castañer General Hospital provides medical services to residents of the municipalities of Lares, Adjuntas, Maricao, and Yauco, making this project a strategic investment in maintaining healthcare services for one of Puerto Rico's most vulnerable regions during emergencies.

Marín Colón emphasized that, "This project demonstrates how mitigation funding enables us to rebuild critical infrastructure in a safer and more resilient manner. Rather than simply replacing existing infrastructure, we are ensuring that the hospital can continue providing essential services and receive patients and critical supplies by air, even when roads become impassable after a disaster. This investment strengthens the resilience of the healthcare system serving Puerto Rico's central region."

The new facility will comply with all technical standards established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In addition, the project has received the required approval from Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), which certified that the design will not alter the major floodway or increase regulatory flood levels.

Project officials explained that the design calls for replacing the existing helipad with a new structure elevated 24 feet above the current ground level, ensuring that the facility remains above flood elevations and minimizing the risk of disruptions to medical air transportation operations.

Construction will include demolition of the existing helipad, construction of the new elevated platform, procurement and installation of equipment, inspections, testing, and all other work necessary to complete the project. Construction is expected to be completed in approximately one year.

"For more than 80 years, this hospital has served as the primary healthcare provider for our mountain communities," said Giovanni E. Ortiz Pagán, MHSA, Chief Executive Officer of Castañer General Hospital. "Geography should never be the reason someone receives less healthcare, and beginning today, it will no longer be an obstacle to receiving timely care."

To track the progress of this and other reconstruction projects, the public may visit COR3's Transparency Portal.

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