Clinic Nearing Completion

After more than a year of work, the Portage Clinic's unveiling a bit more of the newly renovated facility. The major expansion of the clinic included a large addition, and a complete renovation in the older building as well. Chief Operating Officer Chris Tompkins says they're now putting the finishing touches on the work, and will be unveiling more of the location tomorrow.

"We started driving the piles in for the new part of the building in August, 2014. Here it is now, April of 2016, we've been in what we call phase one, which is the new building since October. On Wednesday morning, we'll be moving into phase two, which means we have the whole waiting room, and half of what we call the old clinic, completely renovated." 

The recent changes will see two reception counters in the main reception area, new nursing stations, as well as a room for the doctors to use for administrative work. Tompkins notes the administrative area will also benefit their residency program, by allowing a quiet space for instruction or other work. 

"We've got a teaching unit right here, with seven residents training. If they ever have to have a training session or anything they're doing in a tiny little exam room, we've built them a training room. They can go in, close the door, learn and train. It should enhance what they're trying to do."

While the new facility will have benefits for the doctors and physicians in training, Tompkins also anticipates overall improvements to local health care. He says the major expansion was completed with growth in mind, and that's something they're hoping to see in the near future.

"Right now we have 22 doctors working out of the clinic. Our hope is to, in the next couple of years, be up to 30 to 35. There's a need for it in the area. There are a lot of people who don't have a family doctor, someone they can go to consistently. By building this building we can now house these doctors, and it will help everyone's health care, really."

He says the growth of the clinic is especially exciting because it's funded completely by the doctors, without any government funding. Tompkins notes they couldn't have gone through the expansion without the tremendous support they've seen from their staff.