The Board of Directors of the HealthFirst Family Care Center invited staff, patients, officials and members of the community to sign a beam on September 15, 2011 that will will soon hang over the foyer of their new facility. The new center is currently being constructed on Quarry Street, just a few blocks from the current County Street facility with an $11.5 million grant from the ARRA Facility Investment Program. Funding has been arranged through BankFive, Citizens-Union Savings Bank and the Fall River Office of Economic Development made it possible for the center to purchase the building. The "Journey of Hope" project will significantly increase the amount of space available for medical and dental services from the current 10,000 to 40,000 in the new facility and will also accommodate specialty services by Southcoast Hospitals Group, National Physical Therapy, and Standard Pharmacy. Click here for the video. Click here for the Herald News article. Click here for photos of the groundbreaking. For more information, call HealthFirst Director of Community Relations and Development Paula Harrison at 774-627-1204

(Top row, left) HealthFirst Director of Community Relations and Development Paula Harrison and Chief Executive Officer Julie Almond welcome guests to the beam signing. (Top row, center) Barbara Travis, who was on the first Model Cities Task Force in the early 70s and voiced the need for quality and accessible health care in the Flint, was one of the first to sign the beam. (Top row, right) Paul and Barbara join Jim Donnelly, son of Attorney James Donnelly, who was the Center's first executive director. (Second row, left) Mayor Flanagan, Board member Mike Moran of the Family Service Association, and Wendy Garf-Lipp of United Neighbors of Fall River sign the beam. (Second row, right) Gene Alves, President of the Board of Directors introduces Kevin Neumann, Principal of Steffian Bradley Architects who, along with his team, designed the facility. (Third row, left) Project Executive Mary Ann Williams of Skanska USA Building underscores the importance of the new facility in providing health care to the community. (Third row, center) CEO Julie Almond thanks Facilities Manager Barry Pelland for his oversight of the project as well as the many members of the community for their ongoing support of the clinic. (Third row, right) State Representative Dave Sullivan talks with Steppingstone First Step Inn director Rosa Medeiros while Fall River Public Health Director Dr. Henry Vaillancourt talks with Healthy City Fall River School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard. (Bottom row) Guests line up to put on their hard hats before taking a tour of the building led by Facilities Manager Pelland.