Kevin Cederstrom
MeritCare Clinic is expanding in New York Mills with the new addition slated to fill the vacant lot at Centennial and Main.
With the architecture's proposed floor plan and elevation complete MeritCare officials met this week with engineers to discuss what was needed and move on to the construction drawings.
The new addition to the east side of the current clinic will include two additional doctors' offices and six new exam rooms. Also included in the plans are physical therapy and occupational therapy offices, with those services to be offered in the future.
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There are currently two full-time doctors at the clinic in Dr. Gary Robinson and Dr. Tim Studer, along with Physician's Assistant, Barb Heier. The expansion will make room for Dr. Uselman, who is starting with MeritCare this summer.
The addition will create two full-time positions (doctor and nurse), and one full-time equivalancy, made up of hours from various other positions.
MeritCare also plans to offer telemedicine services, where patients can communicate with doctors at different locations via a television screen, in the clinic's new wing.
The existing building is 5,884 square feet and the new addition will be 2,832 square feet. The expansion will take off from the east side of the current building and fill out the corner lot to the Peloquin Law Office.
The clinic is owned by Perham Memorial Hospital and a private investment group, which rents the building to MeritCare. The group purchased the lot on Centennial and Main last year from the city.
The project construction is expected to be bid by late May. No timetable has been set for beginning construction or project completion.
