LEWISTOWN, PA | Buffie Boyer | Sentinel reporter – bboyer@lewistownsentinel.com
Original article can be found at: https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/
Primary Health Network unveils plans at ceremony
Construction is underway for the area’s first Federally Qualified Health Center in Derry Township.
On Monday, Primary Health Network, Pennsylvania’s largest FQHC, held an unveiling ceremony to let the area know that construction is underway and to thank those who helped bring the project to fruition.
“It has been a long road to get to this point, but a good road. This allows us to expand patients and the services we can provide,” said Drew Pierce, CEO of PHN. “All of this is great for the community and for economic development too.”
The $14 million Lewistown multi-service facility will feature a three-story, 45,000-square-foot building, that creates approximately 46 jobs and retains 27 existing positions in the community. The facility, which provides patients with access to multiple services under one roof, will offer family medicine, dental and behavioral health services and a low-cost pharmacy. FQHCs were established to provide everyone healthcare services, including low- or moderate-income residents.
“The FQHC is the center point of the building and (we) will surround it with services that support what we do and our mission and supports the patients,” Pierce said.
Negotiations are ongoing with other community tenants that may share space
in the building.
As a compliment to Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, PHN and the hospital are working together to coordinate services. Tracy Wolfe, vice president of medicine for Geisinger Health System, said she was impressed with the quality of the FQHC concept and said there is such a need in many communities for this type of facility, especially in Lewistown.
“We knew it’s a partnership we really needed to develop,” Wolfe said.
The Cornerstone Community Development Group also helped move the project along by administering New Markets Tax Credits, which help increase business or spur new projects in low-income or rural communities.
Charlotte Folmer, executive director of the group, said Lewistown was designated as a medically under served community, so it qualified for these tax credits.
“Our goal is to address the need for healthcare in Mifflin and Juniata counties,” Folmer said. “The new facility will address these issues and also bring economic benefits due to construction and operation of the facility.”
In preparation for the opening of the medical center, Derry Township is getting a new traffic light that will be installed to assist with traffic flow to the new location in Derry Heights.
Pierce said he is excited for the new facility, which is expected to be complete in late spring 2018.
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