A new health center at Rickards High School will open Monday after a nearly two month delay. The clinic was supposed to open in April but was delayed due to parking issues.
Local school and health representatives held a ribbon cutting ceremony in July with a plan to open at the start of the school year. Neighborhood Health Services Board Chairwoman Alexis Roberts McMillan blames the delay on federal red tape.
“We didn’t anticipate there would be this much of a delay, but everything is ready set and on it’s way to go to make sure we’re giving the best possible care we can," she said.
Neighborhood received federal funding to treat uninsured patients. The Leon School District has provided the physical space, while Neighborhood handles the operation in addition to its other five facilities in Tallahassee and Havana. The Rickards Clinic will serve insured and uninsured students and residents in the area. Neighborhood had to hire additional providers to staff the facility.
The project was announced in February of 2016. But the clinic has been a source of contention between the district and supporters of a plan to put another school with wraparound social and physical health services nearby.
The Rickards clinic is located at the rear of the school and will offer dental, primary and mental health care.
