By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

HealthproMed laid the cornerstone

Monday for a new multimillion-dollar

Community healthcare facility in the

Santurce area of San Juan.

The five-story complex is being built with $11.5 million in federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. The 44,000-square foot facility, which is being built to U.S. Green Buildings Council specifications, will provide primary care and related services including: pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology. It will house a clinical laboratory, radiology center and dental and optometry services, among other specialties.

«The laying of this cornerstone represents healthcare for Santurce and neighboring areas,» said HealthproMed Executive Director Julia Vélez. «It also represents the creation of 50 new jobs and an increase in the space available to attend patients.HealthproMed operates as a community health center under the federal government’s Section 330 grant program. It is the only such facility in the metropolitan area that treats patients regardless of their capacity to pay.

The center follows an integrated healthcare model aimed at patients without medical insurance or with few resources. HealthproMed also cut the ribbon on its new onsite pharmacy, which offers discounts of up to 80 percent on prescription medications under the federal government’s 340B program.

«More and more people are not getting adequate care because they lack health insurance,» said Héctor Villanueva, HealthproMed medical director. «It is important for us to optimize the structure and equipment to provide dignified and efficient care to our community.