For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2012

Southcoast breaks ground on new Ambulatory Care Center in Fairhaven

New facility will expand health care services in the community with a greater emphasis on prevention

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — Southcoast Health System broke ground this week on a two-story, 61,000-square-foot Southcoast Ambulatory Care Center in Fairhaven, located adjacent to the existing Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care site.

"The greater Fairhaven community no longer needs to envision a medical center that brings together some of the best community health care available — it is right here, right now," said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health System and Southcoast Hospitals Group. "Southcoast's new Fairhaven Ambulatory Care Center will improve access to medical care that patients previously had to travel for — better access to medical specialists, the very latest diagnostic technology anywhere and walk-in urgent care."

Scheduled to open Summer 2013, the Southcoast Ambulatory Care Center at 206 Mill Road in Fairhaven will include an urgent care center that operate seven days per week and will accept walk-in and same day appointments.

The facility will bring together some 40 physicians, including primary care, family practice, surgical and medical specialists. Comprehensive outpatient services will include radiology, laboratory and cardiac testing as well as a retail pharmacy.

"The push for health care reform is changing the landscape of health care delivery across the nation," said Ellen Banach, Senior Vice President of Strategic Services. "The goal is to keep patients out of the hospital and closer to home by focusing on prevention and early recognition of illnesses with continual monitoring and follow up care. The new facility will offer an opportunity for much needed expansion of health care services in the community with a greater emphasis on prevention and treating patients before they become acutely ill."

Similar to the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care project, the new Southcoast Ambulatory Care Center building project will create up to 250 temporary construction jobs over the life of the project, while the new center will employ approximately 50 staff members in addition to physicians.