SHELBY – A New Chapter Begins
The Shelby Health & Wellness Center has proven wildly popular with residents. While the current facility was undergoing extensive renovations, 85% of the clients went to either Mansfield or Bucyrus to see the displaced providers.
‘That is pretty astonishing,’ said Alex Goff, development director for Third Street Family Health Services.
Grand Reopening Celebration
Clients won’t have to go far anymore. Staff and local officials celebrated the grand reopening of the space at 31 E. Main St. with a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, organized by Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
‘The only things that are left from the original building are the walls,’ Third Street Family Health Services CEO Peggy Anderson said, adding that the facility opened eight years ago.
Improvements for Better Service
With the improvements, the center will be better able to serve its clients.
‘We wanted to renovate to integrate our space,’ Anderson said. ‘In the old building, there was one long hallway. You could be a dental patient on one side of the building and not know we had medical services and vice-versa.’
She mentioned that the renovations have made the center cleaner and safer for both staff and clients.
‘We didn’t want this to feel like a place you have to go to because you have no other choice. We want it to be right,’ Anderson said.
Expanded Services
Now, there are two rooms for behavioral services and three rooms for women’s health services, along with space for a potential pharmacy, which is still pending approval.
Other upgrades include dedicated workstations for nurses, dental assistants, and medical assistants, along with a handicapped-accessible exterior ramp. An integrated waiting lobby can accommodate 43 patients.
The main entrance has been relocated to the back, providing improved access, and staff members now enjoy a break room.
Future Goals
Future goals, according to Anderson, include updating the outer part of the building and repaving the back parking lot.
Renovations started last December and concluded in late October.
‘We thought we had dollars from original federal funds to pay for the whole project,’ Anderson stated. ‘Doing a full renovation of this space, state and local funds got this project across the finish line.’
Goff mentioned that the project was ‘especially meaningful’ due to partnerships with organizations like the Shelby Community Foundation and the Milliron Foundation.
Mayor Steve Schag, present at the event, remarked on the excitement surrounding the opening: ‘We use the word a lot, but it is appropriate here.’
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