Somerton clinic gets stimulus funding

The Sunset Community Health Center in Somerton will receive almost $1 million in stimulus money, and Sunset CEO says the money will allow for a "major renovation," and allow for 2,400 additional patients.

The office of Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva announced the award of $940,655 late Monday afternoon.

The five Sunset clinics in Yuma County are a group of federally qualified health centers that provides affordable health care to residents. The clinics provide health care to patients with private insurance, Medicare and AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System), the state's Medicaid program. The clinics also provide a sliding fee scale for the uninsured.

After learning that Sunset received the award, CEO David Rogers, said he was happy it came through.

"We're just extremely appeased with the opportunity to receive this money," Rogers said. "If we hadn't, we would not have been able to remodel the facility."

And that remodel will not only include one more provider, which Rogers said will allow for 2,400 more patients and 3,600 patient encounters, but it will give the clinic a whole new look.

He said the upgrade will include a complete remodel of the exterior building, including a new stucco facade. Inside, they'll add two more exam rooms and one treatment room, Rogers said. He said they'll also replace the roof, the heating and cooling system, the lighting and the flooring.

"The clinic will look brand-new when we're done," Rogers said.

He said there are plans to close in a breezeway that connects the administration portion of the building to the clinic, as well as completely re-do and expand the parking lot.

Rogers said the clinic was "in need of a major face-lift and overhaul."

He said the majority of the patients at the clinic live in Somerton, so the renovation will be done for the community.

"I think it means the world to them because we built new clinics in San Luis, Yuma and Wellton," he said.

Earlier this year, Sunset received $250,000 in stimulus money for an additional 10 employees throughout its clinics.

With these new stimulus funds, 16 health centers across Arizona, including Sunset, will receive a total of $16.1 million for construction, renovation and repair.

"Health centers are an integral source of local employment and economic growth in many underserved and low-income communities," said Grijalva in the news release. "This is one more step to ensure that high-quality health care for all Americans, regardless of income, is an affordable goal."