RICHMOND, Ind. – Reid Pediatric & Internal Medicine will open in a new expanded and renovated location at 1485 Chester Boulevard on Monday, Dec. 14.
“Our new space will mean a lot more room for patient care,” said Loretta A. Ryan, M.D., one of the physicians with the Reid Health Physician Associates practice. The practice, which also includes William Black, M.D., Amber Allen, M.D., Yolanda Dreier, M.D., and Mary Barrett, NP, has been at the corner of Chester Boulevard and Waterfall Road in a much smaller space that originally opened in 1972. The old space will eventually be torn down to make way for a new medical facility for Reid ENT, Hearing Center and Allergy Clinic.
The new location was formerly home for Urological Care, which moved in January to 1050 Reid Parkway. The new pediatric center represents a $3.9 million renovation and expansion, including an addition of 6,173 square feet for a total space of 15,693 square feet for the practice.
Dr. Ryan said the staff and patients have been pretty squeezed in tight spaces as the team had outgrown their former home. “Patients will really appreciate the new, bright colors and improved waiting area — and space that nearly doubles our current location.”
Craig Kinyon, Reid President/CEO, said the practice’s former building needed significant infrastructure renovations, as well as patient work flow changes, and the costs to renovate the existing structure were not feasible.
“The need for pediatric coverage and services has continued to grow and the need to bring on additional providers is why we are running out of space,” Kinyon said.
The urology expansion also included adding a parking lot to the east. In 2016, the former pediatric center building will be torn down and replaced with a building that will house the hospital’s Reid ENT, audiology and allergy center. That project, which Kinyon said is still in the planning stages, also is born out of necessity.
“ENT has outgrown their building in a significant way,” he said. “And the current pediatric center building is about 40 years old and is getting to the stage where you need to renovate or start over. We’re building the next generation, and hopefully it will last another 40 years.”
Rohit Bawa, M.D., with Reid ENT, said his practice is excited about the changes and improvements that are coming. “It is exciting to see all these developments with the pediatric center project and the plans for our own relocation. These changes will greatly enhance care, access and the patient experience.”
Dr. Black, who has worked at the pediatric center for almost 19 years, said the new location is more accommodating for patients as it will improve the flow and reduce congestion in waiting and check-in areas. “We will have designated areas for lactation consultation for breastfeeding mothers, and an area for telehealth as Reid continues to develop this program.”
Kinyon said the flurry of activity, construction and renovations reflects the success of Reid Health’s commitment to maintaining a strong supply of providers to care for area residents. He noted that the health system recently expanded its provider recruitment department in ongoing efforts to attract and keep providers in an extremely competitive national health care market.
“The reason Reid Health continues to employ more and more providers is that in today’s world, few providers can continue to meet all of the new health care regulations required and economically survive on the reductions in provider fee schedules. So hospitals and health systems must offer employment opportunities or they have a very real risk of not having enough providers to care for their population,” Kinyon said. “And clearly, without physicians, we cannot maintain a health system. All of the physicians we are currently recruiting, as it has been for the past eight years, would only consider an employment option.”
He noted that the providers at the pediatric group were among the first to join what is now known as Reid Health Physician Associates, which is today a network of more than 130 providers.
Kinyon said Reid Health anticipates more changes, renovations and moves over the next year as part of a proactive strategic plan that aims to ensure the system can continue to recruit and keep a team of quality caregivers.
