SCRANTON, Pa. -- An old warehouse in Scranton will soon become a medical village. That's the term the Wright Center for Community Health is using to describe its new offices set to open this fall.
The place on South Washington Avenue will be the Wright Center's new clinical and administrative hub.
The project got a big boost this week with a $1.5 million state grant that will go toward an expansion of one type of care the Wright Center says there's a real need for.
The Wright Center for Community Health says it won't have any trouble filling the empty warehouse space.
Work has begun on the center's new clinical and administrative hub. The place is set to open this fall.
"The number of people that we serve is probably going to double in the next five years, and that's our goal," said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Wright Center for Community Health.
The building used to be a beer distributor, and the Wright Center won't be the only new occupant. There's a pharmacy and medical testing lab slated to move in. The Wright Center pictures this building becoming sort of like a medical village.
"We will have pediatrics and oral health care and behavioral and mental health services, so for anyone who has a transportation barrier, we're right on a bus route and you can get all the services taken care of here," explained Maria Montoro-Edwards, Wright Center for Community Health.
The project got a $1.5 million boost from a state grant this month will be spent to expand services for people addicted to opioids.
"Having the funding and the expansion here will be a tremendous benefit. We are in downtown Scranton. We're in walking distance from several housing developments. We're right in walking distance from treatment court where we have a significant presence and the parole office," Montoro-Edwards said.
The Wright Center started addiction services in 2017 with just 50 patients. They now serve about 400 patients.
The doctors say the extra space and resources will help that program continue to grow.
"Definitely the need is there. I don't think we are meeting the need of the entire population in the region, so definitely the services need to grow," said Dr. Sheth.
The Wright Center's Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence is just one part of this big building. They'll offer all sorts of medical services here starting sometime later this year.