New medical center expands services to seniors

Colorado Springs’ largest safety-net health care provider is significantly expanding to serve more senior citizens by building a new 14,000-square foot medical center.

Last month, Peak Vista Community Health Centers razed a nearly 40-year-old building at 722 S. Wahsatch to build a new $3.8 million clinic for patients 55 and older.

It replaces the health care provider’s current senior clinic, at 2858 International Circle, and will expand it to allow for about 2,400 more patients.

The razed building housed Peak Vista’s homeless clinic, which has relocated to a new building by the Salvation Army’s New Hope Shelter at 117 West Rio Grande Street.

Two other nonprofits that were also housed in the old building and serve the homeless have moved.

The new senior clinic is the second-largest construction project for Peak Vista, which serves 55,000 patients who are uninsured or underinsured, or face other barriers getting health care. Eventually, Peak Vista’s pediatric services will relocate to the former senior center’s location.

Clint Peterson, director of logistics, said the project is part of Peak Vista’s strategic plan.

It comes after Peak Vista’s largest construction project, a $7 million project in which it remodeled a building on Union Boulevard across from Prospect Lake.

The senior health center will have a dozen exam rooms, and it will have a place for Peak Vista to offer group classes on health topics like diabetes and hypertension, a first for the organization.

The former homeless clinic, a 1971 building, was also home to The Resource Advocacy and Pikes Peak Community Action Agency, two safety-net organizations that assist the homeless.

The Resource Advocacy is sharing space with The Springs Rescue Mission, 5 W. Las Vegas St. Beginning next year, it will split its time between the Springs Rescue Mission and a new office, also next to the Salvation Army shelter.

Dee Drake, who oversees the program, said moving can be disruptive for people who rely on the program, but long-term it will be beneficial to have her organization, the homeless center and the shelter in one place.

The Pikes Peak Community Action Agency is now leasing space from Peak Vista at a different location, said Chief Executive Officer James A. Faber.

The move affected its administrative offices, but its services are provided by other locations around town.

As part of the shuffle, Peak Vista has also started a new Mobile Health Center to help bring health services to the homeless in their camps.

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Call Newsome at 636-0198. Visit the Pikes Peak Health blog at www.pikespeakhealth.freedomblogging.com and the Gazette’s Health page at Gazette.com/health