MercyMed announces $1.5 million expansion on 2nd Avenue

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)— A Columbus nonprofit is expanding its campus and community spirit. MercyMed began a $1.5 million renovation this week in what will mark its fourth structure lining 2nd Avenue.

The building located at 3600 2nd Avenue was formerly a grocery store, then a convenience store station. In about a year, the 8,000-square-foot building will open as MercyMed’s expanded wellness center.

“When we were determining what the best use of the facility was, we definitely thought, ‘Hey, we can create a really good wellness center that encompasses things like mental health, pharmacy and physical therapy.’” , said Billy Holbrook, director of development for MercyMed. “Our patients can get active, our patients can get educated and our patients can get the medications they need. »

The nonprofit organization works to provide affordable health care, especially to those who are uninsured. With more than 7,000 patients visiting approximately 30,000 times per year, MercyMed is looking to go even further in its services. The brand new service that will be rolled out once the renovations are completed: an on-site pharmacy, a service that patients and providers look forward to.

“Many times, and especially not just among patients but also among their existing providers. They find that patients have difficulty obtaining the medications prescribed to them for various reasons. Transportation and cost are the two biggest,” Holbrook explained. “And so, for those follow-up appointments, we think having a pharmacy on site will increase the education because the pharmacist can provide that education, but also having a pharmacy on site will only increase compliance and better health outcomes for these follow-up appointments. So it’s important and it helps us build trust.

With the new expansion, MercyMed is looking to hire several mission-minded healthcare professionals, including a physician, nurse practitioner and registered nurse.

“We are compelled by our faith to do this work. It is our mission statement to proclaim that Christ is Lord and demonstrate His love by providing affordable, quality care,” Holbrook said. “And so, we want to stay true to that mission, and we want to do it at a pace that makes sense.” And so, we like to crawl, then walk, then run.

Renovations to the expansion are expected to be completed in nine to 12 months.

“We are in a facility that will be transformed in a short period of time, and we are able to do it thanks to the generosity of our donors and our community. And we also have a lot of gratitude towards our patients. Our patients also invest in their health care. Holbrook shared. “To the outside person walking up and down 2nd Avenue, when you see the shovel in the parking lot, it’s a symbol of a real coming together of two groups saying, ‘together we want to make MercyMed prosper and prosper.’

The fourth component along 2nd Avenue seeks to complement the sense of community. Next door is their current wellness clinic and MercyMed Farm. There is also a clinic inside the newly renovated Banks at Mill Village.

MercyMed has an additional location in the Baptist Associations building on Steam Mill Road which they rent for $1 per year to continue and fulfill their faith-based mission.

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