ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A part of Albuquerque where health care is not easily accessible could be filling that need soon. UNM Hospital (UNMH) is hoping to secure millions in funding to open a new primary care clinic in the southwest area.
It’s a residential area that, according to a poll by UNMH, does not have good access to primary care. “The data suggested that the southwest area of the city is the area with the greatest opportunity to build such a clinic,” said Mike Chicarelli, Chief Operating Officer for UNMH. The hospital is planning to build Sandia Vista Primary Care Clinic on 6.9 acres of land on the corner of Gibson and 98th Street in southwest Albuquerque.
The facility would include 22 exam rooms and primarily serve non-emergency health services. “This space is going to be unique in that we have radiology built into the clinic, we have a retail pharmacy that’s built into the clinic, rehab services, so PT, OT, and possibly speech, and then a nice feature that we added is a community room,” said Chicarelli.
Now, UNMH is closer to breaking ground. Their next step will be getting $19 million of funding to cover designs, construction, and equipment. “The project is being funded from the Hospital Capital Renovation Fund, which comes from our hospital operating revenue,” said Chicarelli. Funding needs to be approved by the state board of finance. Once that’s complete, UNMH said they expect construction to last a year and completion by fall of next year.
For now, UNMH has put out a request for contractors to work on the project. “We think that’s important because we want to try to make a central hub where we have, you know, the care being delivered, again, in that community. We don’t want people to need an X-ray and have to travel downtown to receive that X-ray,” said Chicarelli. The plans will be presented May 20 for final approval, and if approved, construction is expected to begin in July.
