MADAWASKA, Maine — The construction of a new Fish River Rural Health Facility at Madawaska’s midtown plaza is now underway. The new facility will help Fish River Rural Health handle growing numbers of patients.
Fish River Rural Health has health centers based in Madawaska, Eagle Lake, and Fort Kent. They provide a sliding fee discount program based on family size and income. The facility is able to do this because of their distinction as a federally qualified health center.
Their Madawaska location, however, is a part-time clinic. But the demand for health care in Madawaska has grown to the point where Fish River needed to expand to the larger facility. Fish River CEO Heather Pelletier said in Augusta that Madawaska’s part-time facility has seen a 31 percent increase in patience since COVID-19.
The new facility will be located at the town’s midtown plaza – the same lot where Kmart formerly stood.
Grants are also helping to fund costs associated with the facility. A $69,800 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant will help Fish River purchase equipment for family medicine, dental, optometry, and food distribution services that will be offered at the new facility.
And the town of Madawaska in August received a $2 million federal grant to help with numerous projects planned at the midtown plaza. Money from this grant will go toward infrastructure improvements that will help provide sewer, water, and fire protection at the new health facility.
Last month Madawaska also accepted a matching $63,153 matching grant to help pay for water and sewer work at the plaza. Town Manager Gary Picard said the sewer line work was a crucial piece of the new facility’s construction.
Pelletier was unavailable for comment on Friday.
