The brand new Lakeview Rural Well being Clinic will probably be constructed on M-46 simply east of M-91 in Lakeview. The 15,800 sq. foot constructing will relocate the Lakeview Household Drugs follow, outpatient rehabilitation and walk-in clinic from their present places and supply house for specialty care companies. — Submitted photograph
LAKEVIEW — An extended-anticipated challenge obtained underway with a ceremonial groundbreaking final Tuesday for the brand new Lakeview Rural Well being Clinic.
Lakeview Village Supervisor Darin Dood was among the many 40 or so group and Spectrum Well being leaders who gathered on a wet afternoon to mark the official launch of the challenge. Dood was excited to see it lastly underway.
Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Well being West Michigan, addresses a crowd of about 40 individuals Tuesday as a part of a groundbreaking ceremony for the brand new Lakeview Rural Well being Clinic to be constructed on M-46 simply east of M-91 in Lakeview. The 15,800 sq. foot constructing will relocate the Lakeview Household Drugs follow, outpatient rehabilitation and walk-in clinic from their present places and supply house for specialty care companies. Andrea Leslie, president of Spectrum Well being United, Kelsey, Huge Rapids and Reed Metropolis Hospitals, at left, and Deb Home, nurse practitioner, Lakeview Household Drugs, additionally spoke concerning the new facility and Spectrum Well being’s lengthy historical past in Lakeview. — Submitted photograph
“Clearly, we’ve identified for some time that it was coming, or they had been making an attempt to make it come, and so right here it’s lastly,” mentioned Dood, calling it “a type of icing on the cake” sort of issues. “First it’s a rumor, then you definitely lastly discuss it, and also you’re engaged on it with them and making an attempt to see if we will get all the celebs to align, after which they lastly did and right here it comes. It’s fairly cool to see it shifting ahead.”
Andrea Leslie, president of Spectrum Well being United, Kelsey, Huge Rapids and Reed Metropolis Hospitals, mentioned the 15,800 sq. foot constructing on M-46 simply east of M-91 will relocate the Lakeview Household Drugs follow, outpatient rehabilitation and walk-in clinic from their present places, in addition to present house for specialty care companies, resembling basic surgical procedure and obstetrics and gynecology.
“So individuals don’t should journey to Greenville or Huge Rapids to see a selected surgeon,” Leslie mentioned. “We’re fairly enthusiastic about that as effectively.”
The lab draw station additionally will transfer from Kelsey Hospital to the clinic. She is hoping to have a drive-through service so sufferers don’t want to go away their automobiles once they have blood drawn, “in order that’s actually thrilling,” she mentioned.
The walk-in clinic that gives “on-demand” medical companies is already in Lakeview, however the present constructing is out of house.
“This new constructing will make it much more accessible for our group,” mentioned Leslie.
The time period “rural well being clinic” is a designation granted to clinics that meet sure standards and is extra of a authorized time period than merely a reputation, Leslie defined. These clinics obtain monetary assist from the Heart for Medicare and Medicaid Companies.
Joe Haupt, senior challenge supervisor with Granger Building, at proper, presents Spectrum Well being leaders a commemorative shovel to mark the groundbreaking of the brand new Lakeview Rural Well being Clinic to be constructed on M-46 simply east of M-91 in Lakeview. The 15,800 sq. foot constructing will relocate the Lakeview Household Drugs follow, outpatient rehabilitation and walk-in clinic from their present places and supply house for specialty care companies. Proven accepting the shovel, from left, are Andrea Leslie, president of Spectrum Well being United, Kelsey, Huge Rapids and Reed Metropolis Hospitals; Deb Home, NP, Lakeview Household Drugs; and Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Well being West Michigan. The brand new facility is slated to open in spring 2023. — Submitted photograph
“The intent behind them is to extend main care entry for individuals in rural communities,” she mentioned. “Numerous instances, if you concentrate on main care and the way in which that they operate, a standalone main care workplace in all probability wouldn’t have sufficient ‘margin,’ if you’ll, to have the ability to survive. So this program permits us to get a unique degree of reimbursement from the federal government to be sure that we’ve entry to well being care companies in these small rural markets.”
Dood hopes that, long run, the enlargement of Spectrum Well being’s footprint within the Lakeview space will create just a few extra jobs and alternatives for residents. He is aware of that a number of the plans will name for current workers to be “shuffled round,” however due to its new choices, he thinks there additionally will probably be a necessity for extra workers.
“To me, that’s enticing in that the job progress and the affordability for extra jobs in our group’s an enormous deal,” Dood mentioned.
As well as, he famous, when a serious employer expands its companies, the remainder of the group additionally advantages from an financial standpoint.
“What number of extra prescriptions is Countryside Pharmacy going to put in writing? What number of extra over-the-counter medicines are greenback shops and Leppinks going to promote as a result of the physician tells them, ‘Hey, go there and get some Claritin over-the-counter. It’s cheaper than getting a prescription,’” Dood mentioned. “However the different factor is, now when individuals come to appointments, they cease and seize groceries on the retailer, they cease and get gasoline at our gasoline stations, they cease and seize a soda on the gasoline station, they cease and eat — they hit McDonald’s, they hit our eating places.
“I feel it’s vital that individuals notice that that is good for all of our companies right here … so all the way in which round this can be a great point for our group and we’re excited and able to embrace it,” he continued.
Pictured at Tuesday’s Lakeview Rural Well being Clinic groundbreaking are, from left, Kim Sherbrooke, senior vice chairman of Spectrum Well being West Michigan Medical Group Operations; Jason Fleeger, operations director of Spectrum Well being regional doctor associates; Alejandro Quiroga Chand, senior vice chairman of Spectrum Well being West Michigan; Andrea Leslie, president of Spectrum Well being United, Kelsey, Huge Rapids and Reed Metropolis Hospitals; Deb Home, Lakeview Household Drugs; and Joe Haupt, senior challenge supervisor of Granger Building — Submitted photograph
Spectrum Well being has a dedication to all its buildings and figuring out whether or not every is a refresh or a brand new construct. For Lakeview, the choice was the latter, “ensuring we’re there for the lengthy haul, for many years to come back,” mentioned Leslie, and bringing a model new, state-of-the-art facility to the group is “very, very thrilling.”
“In our present location, we’re out of house, and our present constructing is sort of tucked locally, in a neighborhood,” she mentioned. “That is going out on M-46, simply accessible for individuals who will probably be coming from Howard Metropolis or any of the communities in between Greenville and Lakeview, so simply actually making an attempt to make it simple.”
So far as what to do with the Kelsey Hospital constructing, no choice has been made but.
“We’ve probably not considered these plans. Clearly we gained’t simply depart it,” Leslie mentioned. “We’ll both promote it, see if there’s any purchaser for it, or if not, we’ll be sure that we handle it and it doesn’t simply disintegrate.”
Building is about to start in 10 to 14 days, with the middle’s opening deliberate for spring 2023.
“We’re optimistic, however till we get a bit nearer we’re all sort of anxiously awaiting an precise date,” Leslie mentioned, pointing to produce chain and building points.
