MILFORD – Two years after St. Joseph Hospital changed its Milford emergency room into an urgent care facility, Milford Medical Center has moved into a new building on the Nashua Street campus.

Along with urgent care, the expanded facility houses a lab area and a range of diagnostic imaging capabilities, including general radiology, ultrasound and 3-D mammography.

The 19,500-square-foot outpatient facility also has physical and occupational therapy, a community room and a new enclosed hallway that connects it to the existing medical building, which houses the primary care offices of SJ Family Medical Center practice and Nashua Pediatrics.

The medical facility has been at 442 Nashua St. for 30 years, mostly as an emergency room.

When the hospital announced that the emergency room would be turned into an urgent care
facility – which is not open 24 hours and does not offer certain medical services – there was considerable outcry. St. Joseph Hospital said the move was necessary because visits to the ER had declined 43 percent between 2008 and 2013, as patients sought cheaper options.

Last year Boehler said that patient use of Milford Medical Center has increased by 60 to 75 percent since the switch to urgent care, which offers non-
emergency diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries.

The urgent care facility is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The new facility has six private exam/treatment rooms, a dedicated and private centralized patient registration area, outpatient rehabilitation services, a large rehabilitation gym with modern fitness and rehabilitation equipment, and a 400-square-foot community room for local meetings and community health education classes.

One feature that the new facility doesn’t have is a pool for therapy sessions. After a recent tour of the building president and CEO Dr. Rich Boehler acknowledged some people are unhappy about that, but the hospital has made arrangements with Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Club in MIlford for the use of their pool.

Boehler also said there is 7,000 square feet of unfinished space on the new building’s top floor that they have no plans for yet. Staff have been suggesting ideas for the space, such as using it for a cafe, a chiropractic office, acupuncture or counseling services.

“Over the next few months we’ll be talking with the family practitioners about what kinds of services” are going to Nashua that could be offered here, Boehler said. “It’s good to have that space to give us flexibility for the future.”

An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to meet the staff and
physicians.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.