Essentia move: Clinic to locate at new site near medical center

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John M. Steiner / The Sun Big trucks will soon be put to use again at the Jamestown Regional Medical Center as Essentia Health Clinic is making plans to move there and occupy 20,500 square feet of a new 46,000-square-foot building.

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One of Jamestown’s three health care clinics will help break ground early next month on a new site, a mere stone’s throw away from the Jamestown Regional Medical Center.

The 46,000-square-foot Jamestown Medical Building will house the new Essentia Health Clinic, which will occupy 20,500 square feet of the building.

JRMC, in partnership with Davis Real Estate Group and Essentia, will break ground on April 3 for a new clinic in a location designed to benefit patients.

Laura Hovland, Essentia site manager, said the relocation will offer more services and more appointments with local doctors and visiting specialists.

Essentia will leave its current location at 401 Third St. SE, when the new clinic is expected to be finished in early 2013.

Currently Essentia has consultants for oncology, cardiology, ear nose and throat, pulmonology and others who come in and visit with patients.

“We have those specialists coming out routinely, but what our hope is to increase the number of times they come out in a month by having more room in our clinic,” Hovland said.

Essentia will also have the space needed to upgrade equipment and provide more patient-friendly rooms.

“It’s hard to remodel and our building was built in 1953,” she said. “With the new technology coming out, and our rooms being small, it’s hard to offer those services.”

JRMC and the Jamestown Medical Building will be connected by a hallway, so clinic patients can see a doctor by just going down a hallway.

The connection will also allow for the sharing of some equipment.

“We’re here to support our community hospital and save money for our patients,” Hovland said. “For example, we’re putting in a computerized X-ray machine but not a CAT scan. We’ll use the hospital’s CAT scan.”

In addition to the lease, Essentia is spending an estimated $900,000 on new equipment, technology and furnishings.

For Alan O’Neil, JRMC chief financial officer, the relocation of one clinic is a step in the right direction for attracting new medical professionals.

“Statistics show new facilities tend to make it easier to recruit (physicians),” O’Neil said.

This Jamestown Medical Building will likely include other health care services in the future.

Sam Revering, marketing specialist with JRMC, said it’s a step closer to better help serving patients.

JRMC opened in July of 2011. The Jamestown Medical Building is expected to open early in 2013.

“It’s the ease of access for patients, for their convenience,” she said. “The ultimate goal would be to have a medical campus all on one facility.”

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by email at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local move, news, health