Boca Grande Clinic Foundation
Addresses Plan for Annex
Building and Improvements
By Sue Erwin • Photos from the Boca Beacon Archives
For decades the Boca Grande Health Clinic
has been a convenience – and sometimes a
godsend – for people with sudden-onset or
long-term illnesses. Prior to the clinic’s existence
patients had to drive as far as Arcadia or Tampa
to receive primary and secondary care. In 1947
The Boca Grande Health Clinic opened its doors,
and ever since it has been growing in patient
numbers, medical options and staff.
At the clinic’s annual meeting held on Thursday,
April 11, Boca Grande Health Clinic CEO Hilja
Bilodeau made a major announcement – they
had looked over the numbers for 2018 and
found that year yielded its highest recorded
volume of visitors in its history.
This is a solid argument to back up the obvious:
The clinic needs more space. This is the reason
the Board of Trustees is planning to change the
use of the Health Clinic Annex, to house doctors
and staff.
“For the past three years, we have had a sixpercent
new patient volume annually,” Bilodeau
said. "So the Clinic is growing, the island is growing,
and we are very excited that we are able to
provide additional services."
The Clinic’s generator has been replaced, the
procedure room has been remodeled, and an
additional exam room has been added. The
nurses’ station has also been re-designed and remodeled
to accommodate four members of the
clinical staff. This summer, the roof will be replaced
and the air conditioning system, which is
the original system, will be replaced. The waiting
area is also going to be revamped.
"We also will be replacing the Clinic’s phone
system," Bilodeau said. "The current system was
installed in 1990, and it cannot handle the
increased volume of calls."
The Clinic is accredited by the Accreditation
Association for Ambulatory Health Care
(AAAHC).
"This is a nationally recognized accreditation
and it's the gold standard of healthcare," Bilodeau
said. "It recognizes the best practices in meeting
healthcare standards. Very few clinics of our size
are recognized -- so take comfort in knowing we
are meeting national standards."
Clinic Foundation Chair Dr. Daly Walker submitted
a letter to the Boca Beacon after the
annual meeting, explaining why the Board of
Trustees deemed it necessary to utilize the space
in the annex building, which is owned by the
Clinic Foundation, but previously, was leased to
independent service providers. Past practitioners
included an acupuncturist, an audiologist, a counselor,
a dermatologist, a physical therapist and a
podiatrist. While these practitioners are not
employees of the Clinic, they are valuable participants
in the effort to meet the healthcare needs
of the island’s residents, visitors and workers.