Eastern Buncombe County is getting a big boost to healthcare, thanks to a new facility announced by Appalachian Mountain Health.
At their Oct. 20 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $480,000 economic development agreement with AMH — an Asheville-based federally qualified health center, a type of nonprofit that serves patients on an income-based sliding scale. Unusually, the agreement will require no county funds; instead, it is entirely supported by the state Department of Commerce and the nonprofit Dogwood Health Trust.
The money will help AMH renovate and reuse a currently vacant medical facility on U.S. 70 in Black Mountain. The building was formerly occupied by FamilyCare of Black Mountain/Old Fort, which
shuttered its doors last October. As reported by WLOS, the old practice’s Raleigh-based owners cited reduced patient volumes after Tropical Storm Helene as the reason for the closure.
As presented to the county board, the nonprofit will invest $2.5 million into building repairs and roughly $11.5 in additional funds to upfit the site as a full-service health clinic for the community. The new facility will also create 48 jobs at an average hourly wage of $39.81, well above Buncombe’s living wage of $24.10.
Speaking with the Citizen Times prior to the meeting, AMH President and CEO Shantelle Simpson said her team “fell in love” with the location after touring it earlier this year. She explained that the building offered enough space to offer a full suite of services, in keeping with the nonprofit’s philosophy of being a “one-stop shop” for healthcare. AMH will operate primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health, dental care, a full-service pharmacy, and ancillary services like Medicaid navigation out of Black Mountain.
According to an April research report compiled by the nonprofit, the facility is likely to see strong demand from both older adults on Medicare and younger families with lower income in need of affordable care. Roughly 25,000 people, including what AMH calls “persistent pockets of low-income and uninsured residents,” live in its potential service area.
“This is a high-priority project for us,” said Simpson. “Black Mountain has been very warm and welcoming to us, and we are excited to be new neighbors.”
County commissioners shared that excitement as they voted to approve support for AMH on Oct. 20. “As I looked recently through our Helene recovery plan, and looking at the need for health and behavioral health services, the timing of this just could not be any better,” said board Chair Amanda Edwards.
Simpson told the Citizen Times that AMH aims to welcome its first patient to the Black Mountain facility by the end of March.
Daniel Walton is the City Government Watchdog Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at dwalton@citizentimes.com, and connect with him on social media through Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: New medical clinic slated for March opening in Black Mountain
