Health care provider building new facility

A Carson City health care provider has plans to start construction on a 20,000-square-foot building in north Carson City by the end of May.

Nevada Health Centers Inc., currently at 907 N. Mountain St., will use $5 million in stimulus funding to construct its new facility on Research Way, said Shirley Hampton, the chief development officer for the nonprofit. Carson City-based Shaheen Beauchamp Builders LLC., will construct the building, which was designed by HMC Architects in Reno.

Nevada Health Centers provides a primary family practice - managing everything from chronic disease to acute care - on a sliding fee system. It employs 350 people, including physicians and physician assistants, in Carson City. The organization has 19 other locations throughout Nevada, focusing on uninsured and geographically isolated populations.

"One of the things we're moving toward is becoming a medical home," Hampton said. "We're going to hire registered nurses and case mangers so we can better manage all the patient referrals, patient preventive exams and patient education."

Hampton said the organization still needs to raise about $1 million to pay for the land where the new building in Carson City will be constructed. She said they will host a fundraiser starting in June.

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"We're really excited, mostly because I think people will notice us more and it will be a health care home for everybody," Hampton said, adding the organization is hoping to eventually provide mental health and dental care.

Hampton said about 6,000 people use the health care provider's services each year in the capital.

The 35-year-old organization came to Carson City 15 years ago.

It opened its first Las Vegas location in 2000. Hampton said they also are using another $6 million in stimulus funding to construct a new building in Las Vegas this year.