MIDDLETON, N.S. — Construction has started on a new, larger health-care centre in Middleton that the province promises will better meet the needs of the area and the health-care professionals who work there.
Lindsay Construction Limited was awarded the $12-million contract and is expected to have the new facility completed in about a year.
The new health centre replaces the aging medical clinic next to Soldiers Memorial Hospital. It will be about six times the size and have more space for training medical residents and recruiting more health-care providers, the province said in a media release Oct. 18, the day construction began.
"This will not only benefit patients, it will also create a better working environment for our health-care providers and allow us to train more medical residents in our community," said Premier Stephen McNeil said in the release. "This will give doctors in training and other health professionals the opportunity to see first-hand what it is like to live and work in this beautiful part of the province."
See Also: 'HELL OF A DAY'
The new building will have a larger registration and waiting area, more exam rooms and meeting rooms, new space for health professionals visiting the centre, and more space for training medical residents.
"Our collaborative family practice is pleased to see work begin for a new clinic for our team,” said Dr. Leslie Ribeiro with Middleton Family Practice. “Having a new, modern facility to practice from will support our team to continue to provide quality primary care for our patients and attract more providers to work with us, which will improve access to care for the community."
Jim Mosher, chair of the Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation which is chipping in $1 million, said he’s pleased to see the project moving forward.
“Our foundation is committed to providing financial support to the construction of the new primary health-care centre, as it will help increase access to primary care within our community,” he said.
In making the $11 million in funding announcement Aug. 6 on the front lawn of the hospital where the stand-alone facility will be built, McNeil thanked local health care practitioners for their patience.
“The conversation about the working conditions and the environment you’re in has been ongoing for a number of years,” McNeil said when he announced the $11-million in funding.
The current medical clinic, built in 1982, is almost 40 years old. The new centre will be 12,600 square feet -- about six times the size of the existing clinic. And there will be about 26 exam rooms, consultation and conference rooms, waiting room, and administration.
There will also be more space to train medical residents which will help with recruitment, the release said.
