The South Side MEL building, 5101 S. Liberty Avenue, contains enough square footage to open a functioning clinic that would provide health care to the neighborhood and relieve crowded near-by clinics, said Frank Hale, a representative for El Rio and an retired professor of medicine.
The district would not need to support funding, only provide the building.
The building is located in a South Side neighborhood known as one of the poorest and medically strained areas in Pima County.
"For people in this community the average age of death is 64, which is far below the average age of death in Pima County and the state of Arizona," said Hale.
Currently the building houses four physical therapists, the Office for Career Ladder, Family Resource and Wellness Center, copier technicians and storage supply space - which would all need to move for reconstruction.
El Rio is known for providing care to uninsured patients and needy communities with affordable medical care. The problem is there is not enough doctors in the area to treat the number of patients coming to the current clinics.
"If we do have the opportunity to build a new clinic in the MEL building location we could offer more comprehensive services and we could expand the patient care," said Hale.
More presentations will be given to the Sunnyside district's Governing Board at public meetings by the El Rio Medical Center and COPE, a community service improvement organization.
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