The Isabella Citizens for Health will be expanding by adding a new 24,000 square-foot building on Health Parkway in order to expand access to medical and behavioral health services.
“Currently we are leasing two buildings the health park and are out of space,” ICH Chief Executive Officer Jennifer White said.
The ground breaking will take place at 2970 Health Parkway in Mt. Pleasant on June 13 at 12:30 p.m. Currently, digging is taking place at the site of the new center.
They purchased seven and a half acres from McLaren Central Michigan in April. White said that the board of directors approved the land to be purchased for a new building in March.
White said that the building cost approximately $5.3 million. This comes from the operating income of the organization as well as a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant.
According to White, the organization had 18,000 medical visits in 2017. She also anticipates that they will have around 20,000 visits, meaning that the organization should expand to handle the rise in visits.
The new building will allow the non-profit organization to have at least 12 primary care providers as well as allowing for behavioral health providers, according to White. She also said that one of those providers specializes in substance use.
Currently, ICH has eight medical care providers and two behavioral health providers.
“Our model is to integrate primary care with other services like counselling services and substance use services,” White said.
A lab draw station and a pharmacy is also planned for the new center. The lab draw station is being made to allow people who need to get blood and urine testing.
“If your medical provider ordered a test or analysis, you can have that done at the same location,” White said. “The pharmacy and lab draw station provide the convenience of a one-stop shop experience,”
According to White, they estimate that they will have the facility ready by next summer.