CENTRAL FALLS – The Central Falls Neighborhood Health Station project has received a $100,000 matching donation from Teknor Apex CEO Jonathan Fain, according to Blackstone Valley Community Health Care Tuesday.
On Monday, members of the Rhode Island business community came together for a breakfast event to learn about the vision and goals of the Central Falls Neighborhood Health Station.
“I am excited to announce that I will be making up to a $100,000 matching donation,” Fain said. “I don’t think that there is a more-compelling project that our business community can get behind.”
The project, led by Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, costs approximately $16 million and is scheduled for completion this fall.
“Health is of the utmost importance for a community like Central Falls,” Mayor James A. Diossa said. “Being able to gather our local philanthropists in support of the new Neighborhood Health Station shows the importance of this project to our community.”
The Neighborhood Health Station aims to offer high-quality, low-cost health care services to 85 percent of the Central Falls population. Its facility will be located on a 47,000-square-foot property on Broad Street, and will offer 34 medical exam rooms, eight dental operatories, six behavioral health offices, a 340B contract pharmacy and a fire department EMT office.
“Central Falls was where our credit union began over 100 years ago. We feel it’s particularly important to support the Neighborhood Health Station to benefit this community in this city,” said Gary E. Furtado, president and CEO of Navigant Credit Union, which also provided a $100,000 grant for the Neighborhood Health Station.
In addition to traditional and primary medical and dental care, the facility will provide behavioral health care and urgent care to the 16,000 residents.
“Our goal today is to educate you about the Neighborhood Health Station and to inspire the community to support this transformational project,” said Raymond Lavoie, executive director of Blackstone Valley Community Health Care. “Our organization’s mission is to provide high-quality, accessible, affordable, comprehensive health care to the residents of Pawtucket and Central Falls using a model of primary care that stresses prevention, education and patient empowerment.”
Haley Hunt is a PBN contributing writer.
