Groundbreaking for Ramona Clinic on Wednesday

Palomar Health will break ground on a $6 million, 7,600-square-foot outpatient medical clinic in Ramona on Wednesday.

The planned Ramona Ambulatory Care Center will provide primary physician services, outpatient diagnostic testing and the first urgent care in the area. It is on a three-acre site owned by Palomar Health and could be expanded in the future, according to a news release. It is due to open in the spring.

The Ramona community is invited to the groundbreaking ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 211 13th St., across from Ramona Library. The program begins at 12:15 p.m.

Funding for the new clinic comes from Proposition BB, the bond measure district voters overwhelmingly passed in 2004.

“We’re very excited to begin construction of the Ramona Ambulatory Care Center. This has been a long time coming,” Michael H. Covert, president and CEO of Palomar Health, stated in a news release.

Invited guests include members of the community and of the Palomar Health and Arch Health Partners (AHP) board of directors, Palomar Health officials, AHP physicians and staff members.

AHP, formerly the Centre for Health Care, will be the sole tenant of the new building. AHP will be relocating from its current location in Ramona into the new facility when it opens in spring 2013.

“Our medical group has had a presence practicing in Ramona for almost 20 years,” Victoria Lister, FACHE, AHP chief executive officer stated. “We are thrilled that Palomar Health has kept its commitment to the community to build a new facility. We are honored and gratified that we will be able to provide an additional array of services for the community of Ramona.”

Parking for the groundbreaking event will be at Calvary Chapel Ramona, 114 14th St. Guests are advised to wear comfortable shoes as the event will be held on a construction site.

On Aug. 19, Palomar Health will open the new Palomar Medical Center in west Escondido.

In 2004, district voters passed Proposition BB, a $496-million bond measure to upgrade facilities and build new ones, including these two new facilities. 

Arch Health Partners, formerly the Centre for Health Care, is a medical foundation group affiliated with Palomar Health. It currently has offices in Poway, Ramona, San Marcos, and Escondido.