Father Joe's Villages will reopen its Village Health Center in Downtown San Diego Thursday following extensive renovations due to water damage earlier this year.
A large pipe burst in the wall of the waiting room at the health center this spring. The resulting flooding left major damage to the first floor, including to the waiting room, registration area, RN triage, exam rooms, onsite laboratory, behavioral health and psychiatry offices, dental clinic and multiple administrative offices, a statement from the homelessness services nonprofit read.
"The Village Health Center is a critical resource for our neighbors experiencing homelessness," said Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe's Villages. "Now, they can continue to access life-saving health services, in a new and improved space.
"We are deeply grateful to the donors who made the repairs possible for the sake of our clients' well-being, to our community for their understanding as the renovations proceeded, and to the entire team at the Village Health Center for their flexibility, dedication and commitment every step of the way," Vargas said.
The center provides primary care, dental, psychiatry and behavioral health services — including substance use disorder treatment — to people experiencing homelessness in San Diego. Additionally, it operates a street health program and provides healthcare services for the nonprofit's onsite recuperative care program.
Donations by John Kiernan in honor of St. Dymphna, the patron saint of mental health, and by Scott and Carol Manning, funded the renovations of the psychiatry offices.
