Optimus Health Care Inc. has completed the construction of a Bridgeport medical facility funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Stamford-based Optimus is a federally qualified health center, and delivers preventive and primary health care services in Bridgeport, Stratford and Stamford. The company has added a wing to its Park City Primary Care Center in Bridgeport.
“With the help of Congressman Jim Himes, we were successful in obtaining stimulus money to expand our local health services,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said. “Optimus Health Care”™s clinic and the first-phase demolition of the Congress Street Bridge are the first completed projects and there will be more,” said the mayor of additional expansion in the city in the health care industry.
The facility serves more than 45,000 area residents.
“Affordable preventive and primary health care services are important to the future of our city and that of our children,” Finch said. “We need to curb teenage pregnancy and childhood obesity by providing expert medical advice on family planning and healthy nutrition. A healthier population yields a more productive workforce.”
The construction of the $1 million project was awarded by the city to Viking Construction and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Community Improvement Program funds.
“This is one of the first stimulus projects to be completed in Bridgeport and has been a crucial federal investment during this economic time,” said David Fieu, board chairman at Optimus Health Care. “Dollars were used in construction activity and purchases were made with equipment firms.”
By constructing a new wing Optimus Health Care added an additional 3,300 square feet of space to the current 10,000-square-foot Park City center. The project added nine exam rooms, two support staff offices and two physician offices. Approximately 850 square feet of the existing building was renovated to provide more space for the Obstetric Gynecology services and to accommodate the new wing.
Optimus estimates the proposed expansion and renovation will result in 1,500 new medical users annually.
“This grant is also helping Optimus Health Care and thousands of health centers to expand, renovate and purchase much needed equipment to serve more Americans who simply cannot afford health insurance due to job loss,” said Ludwig Spinelli, CEO of Optimus.
