CLEARFIELD – The Penn Highlands Healthcare and Penn Highlands Clearfield Board of Directors approved more than $1.2 million in renovations for the Nathaniel D. Yingling Cancer Center building.
Work will be starting in September, according to Rhonda Halstead, president of PH Clearfield.
The building is located next to PH Clearfield at 815 Doctors Dr., just off Turnpike Avenue, Clearfield. The first floor is the home of Penn Highlands Medical Oncology/Hematology.
The building’s second floor of 5,700 square-feet has been relatively empty since the building was built in 2006. This makes it ideal for the renovations that would take the shell and create room for:
- Physical Therapy;
- Speech Therapy;
- Occupational Therapy;
- Orthopedic physician offices;
- Pain Management physician office space and services.
The building’s entrance/façade will be updated, too, with two separate entrances for therapies and physician services. The parking lot will be leveled for visitors’ safety and more handicapped spaces will be made available. Sidewalks and landscaping will also be improved.
This project came to light with discussions to improve the area for The Rehabilitation Center therapies, which have been located on the second floor of the hospital for many years.
To effectively grow, the department layout needs to change. “It’s currently not as patient-friendly as we would like it to be,” Halstead said.
“We can only make limited changes in its current location for our outpatient services.”
“After looking closely at options, putting Orthopedics, Pain Management and The Rehabilitation Center together in this building was a very logical step,” Halstead said.
“The services already work hand-in-hand, and now patients can benefit by having them all in the same area. And this will also allow Orthopedics and Pain Management services to grow, as well. It will benefit all the people of the area all around.”
Halstead noted that Cardiac Rehab and inpatient therapies will still be provided within the hospital as always.
Work on the project is expected to be completed 120 days after it starts. Halstead plans to invite the community to an open-house once the work is done.