HealthLinc and Opportunity Enterprises Break Ground on a Clinic Built for Everyone

Two organizations in the community have teamed up to build a one-of-a-kind medical clinic. HealthLinc and Opportunity Enterprises held a groundbreaking event on Monday to kick off construction. The new clinic is being built to serve people of all abilities, including those with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. It is one of only a few clinics like it in the entire country.

HealthLinc CEO Melissa Mitchell said the clinic will be built with people who have disabilities in mind from the very beginning. Exam rooms will be designed for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices. There will also be a sensory room, an adult changing table, and equipment that everyone can use. The medical staff will be trained to care for patients with different sensory and mobility needs.

Opportunity Enterprises, known as OE, is building the clinic inside about 7,500 square feet of a building on its campus. The inside of the building will be completely redone to make room for the new clinic. The front of the building will also have space where OE can offer physical and occupational therapy. Construction is expected to cost about $2.5 million and take around six months to finish.

OE president and CEO Neil Samahon said people with disabilities deserve better access to health care. He believes they should get care that is compassionate, coordinated, and comprehensive. 'They deserve a health care system that supports their health, their autonomy and their quality of life throughout their entire lifespan,' he said. He added that this should not just be a hope — it should be something everyone expects.

Even though the clinic is being designed with OE clients in mind, it will be open to the public. Mitchell said having the clinic nearby will be helpful for OE staff too. They will not need to spend as much time away from the people they support when those clients need a medical visit.

HealthLinc Chief Operating Officer Nathan Dolan said a person who uses a motorized wheelchair helped give ideas for the clinic's design. That person toured a nearby HealthLinc clinic on Sturdy Road and gave simple but important advice: 'Be as real and honest as possible.' Dolan said he took that advice to heart when planning the new space.

The new clinic will have extra-wide doorways that are 42 to 48 inches wide. That is well beyond the 36-inch minimum required by the Americans With Disabilities Act. The reception desk and waiting area are also being designed with people who use wheelchairs or other devices in mind. Architect Nathan Witte said the team is going 'above and beyond' the usual standards.

Chairs and exam tables will have built-in scales so patients can be weighed without stepping onto a separate scale. There will also be at least one lift to help move patients safely. Mitchell said all of these features add up to a much more comfortable experience for patients. The building's exterior is already in good shape, but the entire interior will be rebuilt with a new layout.

The parking lot will also be expanded, wrapping around the building. There will be many handicapped parking spaces, and the other spots are expected to be oversized as well. OE is paying for the renovation and will lease, or rent, the space to HealthLinc. The clinic will also include a sensory room and two dental spaces, since finding dentists who work with people with disabilities can be very difficult.

Young doctors early in their careers will work at the clinic and learn how to care for patients with different types of disabilities. They will also be trained to listen closely to the direct service workers who already know and support OE clients. This will help doctors learn more about a patient before making a diagnosis. Samahon said communicating with these individuals requires a different and more thoughtful approach.

The idea for the clinic started about a year and a half ago over a simple cup of coffee. Mitchell and Samahon met shortly after Mitchell became CEO and discovered they shared the same goals for patient care. 'We realized there was a point of intersection there and an opportunity,' Samahon said. Mayor Jon Costas praised both groups, saying, 'It's like Superman and Captain America coming together on a mission.'