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<br />Page 2 <br /> <br />SJRMC will donate the property, located on the east side of Bendix between Bonds <br />Avenue and Hartzer Street, to the City’s Redevelopment Commission so the Board of Public <br />Works can undertake needed renovations. South Bend Heritage Foundation has provided design <br />and construction management services to prepare specifications for public bidding. A $346,000 <br />contract for interior remodeling and a reconfigured building entrance was awarded to H.G. <br />Christman Construction on October 6, funded through the Airport Economic Development Area <br />Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund. When complete, the Commission will convey the facility <br />to the Community Health Partners, a newly-formed managing 501( c )3, in exchange for a 10- <br />year commitment for quality health-care services and community health education efforts at the <br />site. Community Health Partners will invest nearly $1.2 million to furnish and equip the facility, <br />sponsor community health programming, and to underwrite ongoing operational costs. <br /> <br />"Providing permanent medical homes within our patients' neighborhoods is part of our <br />Mission and doing so for Westside residents is a direct response to their input," said Nancy R. <br />Hellyer, SJRMC’s President & CEO. "Bendix Family Physicians will be a fine collaborative <br />model offering medical care and health-related educational opportunities in one place." <br /> <br />SJRMC conducted a Community Needs Assessment in 2007 and noted that the most <br />pressing needs for Westside residents were access to primary health care services in their <br />immediate locale, affordability of that care, and having a permanent medical home in which <br />established physicians would provide care on a regular basis. SJRMC approached Memorial <br />Hospital of South Bend and the City of South Bend with its findings and invited both entities to <br />join in an effort to address the health-related needs of the residents. <br /> <br /> “Collaboration and improving the quality of life in our community are action values <br />Memorial Hospital and Health System whole-heartedly embrace,” said Phil Newbold, Memorial <br />Hospital and Health System’s President and CEO. “It has been rewarding to collaborate with the <br />City of South Bend and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in bringing this much-needed <br />medical resource to the community. We thank the Redevelopment Commissioners for their <br />confidence in our commitment to bring healthcare to the west side of South Bend. The <br />Commission helped to lay the foundation for the Bendix Family Physicians to make our shared <br />dream a reality. This foundational support has allowed us to leverage the City’s TIF dollars to a <br />nearly matching amount in outside grants and donations for medical and communication <br />equipment to outfit Bendix Family Physicians as a first class medical home. We are excited and <br />energized with how this project has captured the hearts of many in our community.” <br /> <br /> The effort coincides with community-wide planning already underway for the physical <br />revitalization of the former LaSalle Square shopping area. The City of South Bend has pledged <br />an additional $1.4 million in TIF funding in 2008 for implementation of the LaSalle Square <br />Strategic Development plan, which was supported by a citizen-led steering committee and <br />adopted by the Redevelopment Commission on October 3rd. <br /> <br /> <br />### <br /> <br />