BURLINGTON, Vt. -
The Riverside Community Health Center is celebrating its newly renovated facilities in Burlington.
The work was made possible through a nearly $11 million grant and a community match of $400,000.
Improvements include upgrades to the medical facilities and technology investments.
Health center officials say 20 percent of their patients do not have medical or dental insurance, and centers like this are their safety net.
This renovation will increase patient services by 25 percent.
"It's making sure that people can afford prescription drugs. It's making sure people have a medical home rather than walking in to an emergency center or sometimes the case is they get really, really sick and end up in the hospital at great expense to the system," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.
"We spent approximately $1.3 million last year to provide sliding-scale fee discounts and will spend more this year because we will see more patients. Our sliding fee discounts are scheduled to exceed our federal FQHC grant amounts," said Jack Donnelly of the Community Health Care Center of Burlington.
The facility only lost two half days of patient care during construction.
Orleans and Bennington are now the only counties in the state that lack a community health center.
