Family Health Associates and Umatilla Hospital District representatives, as well as other dignitaries, broke ground on a new two-story, 18,600-square-foot FHA clinic next to its current Eisele Drive location on Thursday, Oct. 5.
UHD board members and FHA officials said the existing 2,500-square-foot clinic, which is a modular building with additions, is outdated and too small for its growing patient base.
“As a clinic, we’ve outgrown it,” Amanda Silvani, FHA assistant medical senior lead, said.
FHA Practice Manager Joleen Horning said the new structure would be large enough to house four health care providers. “Right now, we’re two providers,” she said.
Along with more space for providers, the new clinic’s amenities will include space for physical therapy and a community room for rent.
UHD clerk Pam Christopherson said the existing clinic would also remain operational while the new facility is constructed on its east side. The UHD owns the building and allows the FHA to operate within.
According to its website, FHA is an independently owned primary care medical practice that provides comprehensive medical care.
The price tag for the new clinic is $9-$10 million, Christopherson said, with funding coming from grants via the city of Umatilla, Umatilla County and Amazon, as well as a loan. The UHD will also file for state help.
“We aren’t going after the taxpayers to pay for it,” she said.
It was announced at the groundbreaking that the city Umatilla and Umatilla County will each provide $500,000 to the project.
According to Christopherson, the Tri-Cities-based Bouten Construction is the contractor and should begin work shortly after the groundbreaking.
She expects construction to take about a year. When complete, the current clinic will be moved, likely to a hilltop near the turn onto Highway 395 toward Hermiston, where it will be utilized for the homeless.
“The city is going to take it and they are going to move it out of there and make a homeless shelter for the community,” Christopherson said. “Something for the people who have no place to go.”
Jack McWhinnie, UHD board member, said the board is “110%” excited about the new clinic.
“Us directors took maybe four or five years on this to get it designed with Family Health (Associates) and it’s going to be the nicest building in Umatilla,” he said.
For FHA information, visit www.fhahermiston.com.
