Riverside County building new community health center in Palm Springs
Riverside County is breaking ground on a new community health center in Palm Springs, District 4 Supervisor Manuel Perez announced on Wednesday.
The 35,000-square-foot community health center will be built at the northwest corner of E. Tahquitz Canyon Way and N. Sunrise Way. Construction is expected to be completed by Summer 2021.
Officials say the center will expand health services to all individuals in need, regardless of ability to pay.
The Riverside University Health System provides the numerous services at the county's centers including; primary care, cancer screening, family planning, pregnancy testing and counseling, perinatal care, sexually transmitted disease services, adult and pediatric immunizations, tuberculosis skin testing, dental care, child health services, and nutrition.
"Community health centers came out of the vision of the civil rights and social justice movements of the 1960s, as an initiative to improve the health and lives of Americans affected by poverty," Perez said. "Today, we continue to build on that legacy with the expansion of our community health center in Palm Springs that will deliver care to the most vulnerable. I also wish to acknowledge the Desert AIDS Project for making this expansion possible. Our efforts together will provide increased access to health care in the Coachella Valley.”
The Palm Springs location will mark the 10th community health center in Riverside County and will replace the Palm Springs Family Care Center.
The Palm Springs Family Care Center is located at 1515 N. Sunrise Way, right next to the Desert AIDS Project. The Desert AIDS Project bought the center from the county in 2018 and renovated the center and provides services in the shared space.
According to the county, when the new clinic is built, the Desert AIDS Project will be able to fully utilize the building and continue its campus expansion.
“The Palm Springs Family Care Center has long been DAP’s partner in providing primary care,” said David Brinkman, Desert AIDS Project CEO. “We are very pleased to see the expansion of their offerings and facilities in Palm Springs. Together, we are increasing healthcare access and removing roadblocks to health and wellness.”
Officials said the county will continue providing services to residents at the existing Palm Springs Family Care Center during construction.
