Renovated Logan Heights health center to re-open Friday

Logan Heights Family Health Center (Courtesy Photo)

Over one thousand community leaders, sponsors, San Diego dignitaries and numerous Family Health Centers of San Diego are preparing to celebrate the completion of the Logan Heights Family Health Center expansion project.

The ambitious eight million dollar project was finally completed after 10 years of hard work of raising funds to finance the construction and expansion of this modern health center.

“This expansion was completed thanks to generous financial contributions of over one thousand public, private, corporate and individual sponsors,” Jennette Lawrence, Director of Government and Community Relations, Family Health Centers of San Diego, said.

The new health center will have the capacity to accommodate 10 thousand additional patients. The added capacity enables Logan Heights Family Health Center to accommodate over 40,000 additional patients each year.

“We are very happy with the new building because it will be a great benefit for Logan Heights’ community, and the surrounding areas. It will have more services, doctors and space for all people that look for medical services,” Lawrence added.

According to Lawrence the project adds 23,000 square feet of new space and remodels over 11,000 square feet of existing clinical areas.

“The new building has 25 extra rooms, double the current space in different areas, and considerably expands the pediatric, adult, women’s and vision care clinics, as well the redevelopment of dental clinic, pharmacy and laboratory areas,” she said.

Since the center’s opening in 1970, community founders and activists like Laura Rodriguez, have fought to have a clinic that could cover the medical needs of hundreds of low income families, who do not have health insurance.

According to Lawrence, many Hispanic families will benefit from the new center because this sector of the population represents a high percentage of the clinic’s patients.

Also, Lawrence mentioned that despite the construction and remodeling beginning in December 2006, all this time the clinic remained open providing services to thousands of patients, who daily benefit from health programs and clinic’s low-cost visits.

“All our 28 health centers are becoming increasingly popular due to the economic crisis; currently many people do not have health insurance and turn to our clinics looking for low-cost health services. Therefore, we believe that the expansion of the Logan Heights Health Center will be beneficial for the entire community, “she added.

The official said that the expansion project would not have been possible without the contributions of some government funds granted by the city of San Diego, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Furthermore, the support of politicians like former Assemblyman Juan Vargas, former councilman Ralph Inzunza, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Susan Davis, council members Ben Hueso, Scott Peters, Donna Frye and Brian Maienscheim, as well San Diego county’s supervisors, was very important.

In addition, the generous contribution of the Moores’ Family, the San Diego Padres, Kaiser Permanente and the Union Bank, among other nonprofit organizations and foundations, made this happen.

To celebrate the successful Logan Heights clinic’s expansion project, the Family Health Centers of San Diego is hosting a special Spirit of the Barrio luncheon on Friday, September 25, 2009.

The ceremony will be attended by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders; Councilman Ben Hueso, San Diego County Supervisor, Ron Roberts; Family Health Centers of San Diego Executive Director, Fran Butler-Cohen, among other important personalities.

America Barceló Feldman writes for La Prensa where this story originally appeared.

Tags: barbara boxer, Ben Hueso, brian maienscheim, Donna Frye, family health centers of san diego, fran butler-cohen, health care clinics, health care san diego, health insurance san diego, jennette lawrence, Jerry Sanders, juan vargas, Kaiser Permanente, logan heights family health center, moores family, Ralph Inzunza, ron roberts, San Diego Padres, scott peters, SDNN, susan davis, union banks

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