Looking both to the past and to the future, the Bassett Healthcare Network held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for its new doctors' offices on the site of the former Eden Park Nursing Home.
Torrential rain forced the event inside Cobleskill Regional Hospital cafeteria, where Bassett President and CEO William Streck recalled speaking to supporters and employees nearly 20 years ago when the then-Cobleskill Community Hospital and Bassett first began their affiliation.
"There were a lot of curious and anxious employees," Dr. Stretck said. "Looking back at our accomplishments, you could assume we all knew the relationship would work. But at the time, we didn't know."
This latest project is a natural progression of that relationship, Dr. Streck said.
Ground has already been broken at the former Eden Park site and construction will begin as soon as the rain stops, said Philip LaFata, project superintendent.
Jonathan Flyte, vice president for corporate support services and facilities planning at Bassett, said they expect the new offices to be open in the spring of 2014.
Joseph Sellers, the center's medical director, said the project is being driven by demand.
Since the doctor's offices at the bottom of Legion Drive were last expanded 20 years ago, Dr. Sellers said primary care visits there have grown from 16,500 in 1987 to more than 30,000 today.
"We've just outgrown the walls at Legion Drive," he said.
The state-of-the-art facility will be funded in part by a State Health Department grant to the Bassett Health Network, Dr. Sellers said, and will essentially house four small practices, each with its own physicians, nurses, and other support staff.
There are currently 12 physicians and clinicians at Bassett's Cobleskill Healthcare Center; the new 20,000 square-foot facility will be large enough to add at least four more providers and Bassett plans to hire additional support staff, including nurses and others.
CRH CEO Eric Stein said the hospital is excited about the project.
"We're really looking forward to having a new, modern facility for expanded primary care services located right next door to the hospital," he said,
"This project, including the medical home concept of care, is important to the health and well-being of our community, especially since Schoharie county is a federally-designated as having a shortage of primary care providers."