Expansion and Renovation Work to Begin Next Week at Port Allegany Community Health Center

A temporary parking area will be established as contractors begin work near the health center’s main entrance on Pine Street. Patients should use the Chestnut Street entrance near pediatrics or the Broad Street entrance by the Wellness Center and physical therapy. The main Pine Street entrance will not be accessible.

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital and UPMC Hamot, who have joined forces for this project, held a groundbreaking ceremony in April that marked the beginning of the project which has been two years in the making.

The $2.2 million project will last approximately nine months and will not interrupt daily operations at the health center. The project will add 4,584 square feet and renovate 7,901 square feet to the current space.

The Port Allegany Community Health Center provides family and pediatric primary care services, laboratory, radiology and physical therapy and occupational therapy services, and a wellness center. In addition, the facility is occupied by Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc and the Asbestos Screening program.

Upon completion, the center will include a total of 22 exam and treatment rooms. Primary care providers at the health center currently see 14,000 patients annually. This project is expected to allow for an increase of more than 4,000 visits per year. Specialists will increase patient visits by an additional 5,000.

The healthcare facility will offer expanded primary care and specialty services including diagnostic testing, behavioral counseling and telemedicine, in an updated patient-centered environment. The center also will include various specialty clinics including podiatric services by Dr. Michael Tarbox, chiropractic care by Dr. Michael Kavounas, and women’s health services by Dr. Celso Backes and Dr. Max Laurore.

CCMH has operated the facility for more than 25 years and while improvements have been made during that time, the most recent project was over a decade ago. Increased demand and limited space for primary care, specialists and ancillary services have created the need for this project.

In March 2010, CCMH and UPMC Hamot entered into a clinical affiliation agreement through which the two health systems collaborate to improve the access and quality of health services to the residents of the area.

About Charles Cole Memorial Hospital

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital is a full service, comprehensive health system based in Coudersport with service throughout north central Pennsylvania. In addition to the hospital’s main campus in Coudersport, CCMH provides primary health care, including wellness and physical therapy, to surrounding communities in four counties at rural health centers in Galeton, Ulysses, Westfield, Shinglehouse, Port Allegany, Eldred, Smethport, and Emporium. For additional information on the hospital’s services and medical providers, visitwww.charlescolehospital.com.

About UPMC Hamot

UPMC Hamot is a 412-bed, tertiary care facility, located in Erie. UPMC Hamot has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report- America’s Best Hospitals, Top 50 for Pulmonary Medicine, Most Wired, and Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for overall performance, as well as Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for outstanding outcomes in heart care, neurological services, urology, orthopaedics, gerontology and critical care medicine. UPMC and Hamot affiliated on February 1. For more information, visitwww.UPMCHamot.com.