Bisbee Clinic to undergo complete renovation due to HHS Grant

CHIRICAHUA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC. AWARDED $954,000 FOR COMPLETE RENOVATION OF BISBEE CLINIC

BISBEE, AZ – Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. was chosen as a recipient of $954,000 grant for a complete renovation and expansion of the Bisbee clinic at 101 Arizona Street. On May 4 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced over $260 million in funding would be awarded to 290 health centers for renovation, expansion or construction.

“Health centers are cornerstones of the communities they serve,” said Secretary Burwell in a release. “Today’s awards will empower health centers to build more capacity and provide needed health care to hundreds of thousands of additional individuals and their families.”

The grant for the Bisbee Infrastructure Renovation Project and will allow for a complete interior renovation of the existing 4,878 square feet Bisbee Medical clinic to modernize, improve and reconfigure the interior arrangements of the existing antiquated facility. The remodel is a contemporary, open design that will not only increase patient capacity, but also streamline patient and staff flow.

“We were shocked to say the least when we received the Notice of Award from Health and Human Services as it had been more than a year between grant submission and grant award notification.” Said Jessica King, chief administrative officer for Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. “We are thrilled to be able to renovate the entire Bisbee Clinic to increase patient capacity, and create an environment that is conducive to collaboration and communication of the clinical care teams.”

This funding comes from the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center (CHC) Fund, which was extended with bipartisan support in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. The Bisbee Clinic currently serves 3,500 patients per year. The proposed renovation would allow for an additional two exams rooms for a potential increased patient capacity of 1,100 additional patients served per year.

Annabelle Barrow, the Clinic Supervisor for the Bisbee Clinic was born and raised in Bisbee and is excited about the upcoming renovation. She said, “Opening up the clinic will give better access to the providers, right now there are many weird hallways that cut patients and providers off.”

She said she does not anticipate problems with continuing to provide care for patients in Bisbee. She said, “We did a facelift about a year and a half ago. It wasn’t ideal but we managed. Patients were generally supportive because they knew that it would be better in the long run. I believe this situation will be similar.”

Mary Gomez, health director for Cochise County Health and Social Services said, “I am absolutely thrilled for residents of the Bisbee service area. I know every penny will be used to provide medical care to those who would otherwise go without.”

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. is a mission-driven Federally Qualified Health Center and is a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was founded as a grassroots community effort in 1996 as makeshift clinic in Elfrida’s small community center and has since grown to be the largest primary care organization in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua Community Health Centers currently has seven clinics in Bisbee, Douglas, Elfrida and Sierra Vista and three mobile medical units that serve Cochise County.

For the HHS press release: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2016/05/04/hhs-awards-over260-million-health-centers-nationwide-build-and-renovate-facilities-serve-more.html