Courtesy Photo Alcona Health Center’s new pediatric facility is seen under construction on the health care facility’s Alpena Township campus on U.S.-23 North.

ALPENA TOWNSHIP — Alcona Health Center is constructing a new, 6,400-square-foot pediatric facility on its campus in Alpena Township on U.S.-23 North, and officials expect to start taking patients by early 2024.

The building is meant to house three providers — two pediatric nurse practitioners and one child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Malinda Amlotte, Alcona Health Center community outreach and marketing manager, said the three providers already work for the organization, but the new facility will be the first time they will be able to work together under one roof.

“This is really exciting, because all three of them were scattered across our different facilities,” Amlotte said. “It’s great for parents who might have appointments with a nurse practitioner and the child psychiatrist. It’ll be their first time being able to collaborate together.”

The project received a federal $845,411 American Rescue Plan Act Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements grant in September 2021.

The government funds made up about 51% of the project costs, leaving Alcona Health Center to support the rest — roughly $833,575 — through non-governmental sources.

The building will have its own address and separate driveway, but, because it on the Alpena Township campus, the parking lots are connected to other Alcona Health Center facilities.

“The new pediatrics building is an expansion of our existing Alcona Health Center campus on U.S.-23 North,” Amlotte said. “Parents who need other services for their child following a visit will have convenient access for things like filling a prescription utilizing the drive-thru pharmacy or stopping by to schedule a dental appointment in the next building over.”

Construction started on the building this spring and is expected to be ready in early 2024, but Alcona Health Center anticipates being able to start taking in patients before the end of the first quarter of the new year.

“The construction of this new facility is a testament to Alcona Health Center’s commitment to providing the best possible care,” Nancy Spencer, CEO of Alcona Health Center, said in a statement. “The project is a big undertaking, but we are not just investing in a building. We are investing (in) the health and wellness of our youth, and in essence the future of our community.”