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  • Karen Driskill, left, operations manager for Georgia Mountains Health Services, and Steven Miracle, CEO, and Sandy McKenzie, COO for Hamilton Medical Center, look at an exam table donated by the hospital to Partnership HealthCenter on Monday at the Dalton community center. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)

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July 6, 2012

Health center to open this month

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com

Within just a couple of weeks, the doors to Dalton’s latest health center should open inside the Mack Gaston Community Center.

“We don’t yet have a firm date, but we are planning to open in mid- to late July so we have some experience before the formal opening and dedication, which is scheduled for Aug. 7,” said Steven Miracle, CEO of Georgia Mountains Health, which will operate the facility.

Based in Morganton, Georgia Mountains Health runs federally qualified health centers in Gilmer, Fannin and Murray counties.

The Partnership Health Center will offer low-cost service to those who can show they have no insurance and prove low incomes. It will also accept Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans.

“We’ll provide basic, primary care services for pretty much all ages. In terms of the services we offer, it will be exactly the same as our other locations,” Miracle said “Now, some do emphasize certain services because of the needs of the people in the community they serve. In some, it may be geriatric services. In others, it could be pediatrics. But the basic services are the same.”

Miracle said the center will open just a few days at first, but he plans to expand quickly if the demand is strong enough.

“We are looking at 8 (a.m.) to 6 (p.m.) three days a week. It will probably be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. But that may be subject to change,” he said. “We will also be looking to take advantage of the facility and partner with some of the other organizations there to present some wellness programs.”

The Dalton Parks and Recreation Department runs the community center, at 218 Fredrick St., which houses an office of the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. City officials are also trying to bring in programs from local churches and community groups.

Miracle said he’s just begun planning for the official opening but he expects to have a day full of activities.

“We’ll be providing some discounted lab screenings. We will also be doing BMI (body mass index) measures, and we’ll probably have one or two talks on health topics,” he said.

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