GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Rosa Health Center in Georgetown broke ground Tuesday afternoon on its much-anticipated expansion and renovation as the population and need for medical care in the area continue to grow.
The center, which has been providing care to underserved families in Delaware since October 2015, raised $2.4 million thanks to congressional appropriations, donations, funds, and grants from the Longwood Foundation and M&T Bank, among others.
Dr. Rama Peri, medical director of The Rosa Health Center, shares what this milestone means to her.
"It's incredibly exciting. It's like a dream that we didn't even imagine. Now it's become a reality," Dr. Peri said.
The center currently cares for around 2,500 patients, about 95 percent of whom are Hispanic, and will expand from two to eight exam rooms.
"To be able to work more freely [and] to be able to take care of the patient in a better way is always beneficial for us and the work that we do," Keila Menéndez, a medical assistant at The Rosa Health Center, said.
The expansion also includes a space for group education.
"We believe in prevention, we believe in education, and by empowering our patients, we're hoping to increase the quality of health in the patients," Dr. Peri said.
The first phase of the project, which involves constructing the new building, is expected to be completed in a year. The second phase, which will renovate the current structure, is projected to be completed six to eight months after that.
The center will remain open throughout the construction project.