Centre Volunteers in Medicine will receive $1.125 million in federal funding for its new facility in Ferguson Township, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard Township, announced on Monday.
“With these funds, Centre Volunteers in Medicine will be able to continue their mission of delivering quality and affordable healthcare and dental services to Centre County residents,” Thompson said in a statement. “I appreciate their vision and look forward to building upon this partnership well into the future.”
CVIM has outgrown its current, 6,700-square foot facility on Green Tech Drive in Patton Township. Last fall, with state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds and lead gifts from the Hamer Foundation and community members, CVIM purchased the building at 2026 Sandy Drive building for $2.35 million.
When renovations are completed, the new building “more than 11,000 square feet of exam and office space in an energy efficient and technologically up-to-date building,” CVIM Executive Director Cheryl White said in January.
CVIM launched a $10 million capital campaign earlier this year to support the purchase and renovations of the free clinic’s new long-term home along with permanent endowments that will ensure it can continue to meet the growing demand for services. Prior to the public phase of the Building for a Healthier Future Campaign, the nonprofit organization had already raised $6,081,000 toward the goal.
The federal funding now brings CVIM even closer to the goal.
“Today’s announcement from Congressman Thompson is great news for Centre Volunteers in Medicine,” White said in a statement. “It is vital for our community to provide people without insurance access to affordable healthcare and this funding will help us continue to serve Centre County residents in new state-of-the-art facilities. We are beyond excited and incredibly thankful for this funding and continued support from Congressman Thompson.”
A land development plan for an expansion interior overhaul at the Sandy Drive building is pending in Ferguson Township. CVIM hopes to move into the new facility later this year.
Since it began in 2003, CVIM has provided free medical care, as well as dental care, behavioral health services and case management assistance to low-income, uninsured individuals who live or work in Centre County. Those services rely on support from the community, volunteer efforts and partnerships with Mount Nittany Health, Geisinger, Penn State Health and the United Way.
“Having spent nearly three decades in rural healthcare, I am all too familiar with the challenges associated with delivering low costs and quality services,” Thompson said. “Centre Volunteers in Medicine truly provides a lifeline for so many in our community.”
Thompson and Sen. Bob Casey requested funding for the project as part of the Congressionally Directed Spending for 2022. Thompson ultimately voted against the omnibus spending bill that passed the funding into law, while Casey voted in favor of it.
