Sara Watson Arthurs
Eureka Times Standard

August 30, 2005

Amid the worry over the future of health care in Del Norte County, there’s some good news.

The long-planned Del Norte Community Wellness Center is officially under way. A groundbreaking was held Friday. North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson and Assemblywoman Patty Berg were among attendees.

The center is a collaboration of several agencies, led by the Del Norte Healthcare District. The Del Norte Community Health Center and the Area Agency on Aging will both be located at the site, at Northcrest Drive and Washington Boulevard in Crescent City.

The Del Norte Community Health Center is one of several agencies in the county that has had several physicians leave in a short period of time. County leaders, health care providers and community groups have been working since earlier this summer on improving physician recruitment and retention. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors heard several reports on the topic last week.

The wellness center has been in the works for years, with different locations discussed. This summer, it became a reality. Clarke Moore of the health care district announced at a July meeting that the district had completed escrow.

The project is expected to cost $6.3 million. Of this, $3 million will come from a federal rural development loan, $2.4 million from the Del Norte Healthcare District and $900,000 from a community development block grant the county received.

If all goes well, the health care district hopes to have the building occupied by August 2006.