That Carson Medical Group is opening a new facility 50 years after the group’s inception in 1974 is coincidental, said Carson Medical Group CEO Becky Hepler.
“It’s pure coincidence. It all aligned that way,” Hepler told the Appeal during a May 10 tour of the site at 1946 Old Hot Springs Road.
CMG plans to open the walk-in patient clinic known as CMG Plus last week and the entire building to patients this week. The nearly $12 million project, offering 30,000 square feet of usable space, is a significant step forward for the local medical group and away from current offices on Mountain Street in west Carson.
Hepler said the 1200 Mountain St., location was closing as the group moved into the new facility during Memorial Day weekend. Between 150 and 160 people will staff the new building including 26 healthcare providers. The facility will offer family medicine, ENT and the aforementioned walk-in clinic for patients after hours.
Any coincidence about the timing of the new facility doesn’t diminish the vision and purpose behind it. Hepler said she and team members thought through every feature in the design and building process, wanting and achieving high ceilings, wide hallways, lots of windows and natural light and ample parking.
“Every decision was for patient comfort,” she said.
The facility has 130 rooms total, including 75 exam rooms, 13 restrooms, procedure rooms, administrative offices, a lab and spacious lobbies for the regular practice and the walk-in clinic.
The new location is also a short distance from the College Parkway exit on I-580.
“We wanted that,” Hepler said. “We were purposely looking for a freeway exit. It’s very easily accessible.”
Building it had some challenges as Carson-based SB Builders (formerly Shaheen Beauchamp Builders) broke ground in the fall of 2022 right before a record winter hit.
Pat Beauchamp, co-owner of SB Builders and son of partner Mark Beauchamp, recalled the grueling weather in the first half of 2023. He said they poured the foundation around May.
“We were one of the first projects to come out of the ground and pour concrete that year,” he said.
Mark Beauchamp said medical buildings are a different animal than other commercial spaces and require more sophisticated plumbing, electrical and mechanical work.
“You’re fitting more in a smaller space,” he said, adding the company is proud of the project.
SB Builders has constructed other medical facilities in the area including CMG’s OBGYN and pediatric building on Medical Parkway more than a decade ago.
SB Builders’ Dennis Martin worked as superintendent of the new project and said the partnership with CMG was enjoyable.
“They know what they want,” he said.
Hepler called the Mountain Street location “very tight.” The new location, on the other hand, sets up providers and patients for the future.
“It’s built for more room,” she said.
Hepler added patients had donated photography for the new space. On May 10, some of the framed photos were already hanging from walls.
For information about CMG, visit https://www.carsonmedicalgroup.com/.