Sapphire Community Health, a community-based, outpatient primary health and mental health care center located in Hamilton, is experiencing a rising demand for services that is driving a couple of expansion projects. According to CEO Janet Woodburn, the center has already purchased a building in Florence that they aim to convert into office space and they are about to break ground on a large new facility on the north side of Hamilton.
According to Woodburn, the greatest increase in demand for services is in the area of behavioral health and the new office space being developed in Florence will primarily serve people with behavioral health problems.
“It’s a big open building that needs to be divided up into separate office spaces,” said Woodburn, “but we are looking at opening the doors in January.” She said any builders interested in such a project should give her a call.
At the same time they are moving forward on the construction of a new facility on the west side of Highway 93 on the north end of Hamilton where they own a 7 acre parcel. They recently received a $500,000 grant to develop a site plan and have advertised for architects.
Woodburn said that the new building could be anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet depending upon the cost. She said they have gotten cost estimates ranging from $6 million up to $10 million. She said that due to the uncertainties about the cost, they are not sure what all will go into the building, “but it will certainly be medical services, behavioral health services and dental care.”
She said that things were moving slowly on the project because they want to do everything right. She said the initial surveys involving floodplain, wetlands, FEMA, and archeological/historical surveys have taken a lot of time but are now completed.
“It all looks good, so we are ready to break ground,” said Woodburn. She said that they hope to begin removing the existing structures on the property by this spring. She said both the new facilities are much needed to keep up with the growing demand for services that they are seeing.
“We are busier than we have ever been,” said Woodburn.