PATTEN, Maine — Changes will soon be taking place at the Katahdin Valley Health Center’s Patten location.
USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel announced Aug. 19, 2015 that the agency is making a $3 million Community Facility Guaranteed Loan to Katahdin Valley Health Center in partnership with local lender Bangor Savings Bank. The funds will be utilized to build a new administrative office facility in Patten.
According to KVHC CEO Durwood Humphrey, the construction of a new administrative office will also allow for much-needed renovations to the existing health care facility in Patten.
“We are out of space at our current location,” Humphrey said. “We have no room for growth or the services we want to add to our Patten facility. Patten is also the headquarters for all of our management team. We decided to build a new facility to help eliminate congestion here at the Patten location.”
The $3 million loan is only part of the total investment KVHC is making to the area, Humphrey said as an additional $1 million of their own money will go toward the project. Additional plans call for spending another $1 million on renovating the existing building. Humphrey said they hope to receive grant funding for that portion of the project.
The new building will be constructed at 529 South Patten Road and serve as a multi-function 15,000 square foot facility with adequate space to house current and expanded administrative and IT functions. Construction of the new facility affords KVHC the potential to more fully utilize its current Patten facility to expand podiatry, optometry, telemedicine services, a pharmacy, as well as to provide staff meeting rooms. Another medical doctor will also be added to the staff for that area and plans are also in the works to add dental services, physical therapy and cardiac rehab.
“Construction of this new space in Patten will result in new administrative space and expanded medical services, ensuring our Penobscot and Aroostook County residents have access to the health care services that they need without having to travel great distances for much-needed care,” Manual said. “I am pleased USDA Rural Development could partner with Bangor Savings Bank to help make this new building a reality for the communities served by Katahdin Valley Health Center.”
Located about a mile and half south of the health care facility, the new central office building will be erected on a six-acre parcel of land purchased about six years ago, Humphrey said. Demolition of an existing building on that parcel of land will take place first.
“This was all part of our long-range, strategic plan,” he said. “We are looking at breaking ground in the next few days.”
Humphrey said they hope to have the building completed by next April so they can start providing additional services to those in need.
“There are more underserved and underinsured people within this geographic area than one can imagine,” Humphrey said.
Katahdin Valley Health Center maintains five clinical sites (Patten, Ashland, Houlton, Island Falls and Millinocket), serving 45 towns, nine plantations, and two townships, covering approximately 4,152 square miles- an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. USDA Rural Development has been a vital partner with Katahdin Valley Health Center, having invested $11.6 million in its health care facilities in northern Maine since 2009.
