ETMC First Physicians Clinic construction progressing

-- Physicians anticipate mid-November move into new clinic --

Construction to create a new 7,132 square feet First Physicians Clinic adjacent to ETMC Mt. Vernon is well underway, with a mid-November move-in date anticipated, according to ETMC Mt. Vernon Senior Administrator Perry Henderson.

At that time, the physicians who are housed in the current clinic – Dr. Salma Mazhar, Dr. Jean Latortue and Physician Assistant Allison Rios -- will relocate into the new clinic and begin seeing patients there. Once that move is finished, demolition of the current clinic will begin. Additional clinic parking will be created on the site of the old building.

The new clinic will provide adequate space for up to five physicians or mid-level providers, Henderson said. “The extra space in the new clinic provides us with an opportunity to bring specialists in to the community so that residents can see them closer to home,” he said. “It also provides space for future needs, as additional physicians are needed and recruited to this area.”

The clinic project is an investment into the Mt. Vernon community of more than $1 million.
During the 2007 fiscal year, the ETMC First Physicians Clinic in Mt. Vernon provided care for more than 5,100 clinic visits, an average of 426 visits a month. For the 2009 fiscal year, the clinic expects to provide care for almost 9,000 visits.

The new clinic is a brick veneer construction, designed to complement the hospital, Henderson said. The project architect is Fitzpatrick, Butler Architects of Tyler. The contractor for the project is TCMC, Inc. (The Construction Management Company, Inc.).