When you go to the dentist at the new SEARHC clinic, you’ll be able to see your sore tooth live on TV.
An oral display filmed with a pen-sized camera was one of the features highlighted during Saturday’s open house of the Haines Wellness Center on the ground floor of the Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village.
Dr. Lucia Nascimento said the camera technology is about 15 years old, but its use here is a first for SEARHC in Southeast.
“When you’re speaking with a patient about their (care) it’s so much easier if you can pull up that picture in front of them and actually show them what you’ll be doing,” said Lisa Cone, a dental assistant trainer on hand for Saturday’s open house.
The new clinic has five dental chairs, a lab that allows doctors to fix dentures and make mouthguards on site, and a two-room sterilization facility. The new site should decrease patient waiting time and allow staff to handle more emergencies, Nascimento said.
“My old lab was my desk” at the clinic’s previous location downstairs at the First Avenue medical clinic, Nascimento said. The previous clinic had three chairs.
The clinic comprises about one-third of the 10,000-square-foot center on the building’s ground floor. SEARHC moved into the space three weeks ago.
Other office space has been reserved by Hospice of Haines, Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Cornerstone Home Health Care, and Haines Assisted Living corporate offices. A space about 1,400 square feet has yet to be rented, said Jim Studley, project manager for HAL, the building’s landlord.
Saturday’s open house was followed by a tribute dinner to benefactor Lucy Harrell, who has made donations of close to $3 million to HAL building projects, including the wellness and assisted living centers.
Representatives of groups that have received Harrell donations, including Haines Friends of Recycling, KHNS, Haines Animal Rescue Kennel and Hospice of Haines, testified to her generosity.
“Lucy has gotten the ball rolling on local projects again and again. She continues to pour money out on a lot of us,” said Nancy Schnabel of Hospice.
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill said Harrell’s example of friendship and generosity has made a big difference for the town.
Harrell told those in attendance that money is for spending and that she has had a “grand time” donating hers on different efforts around town in recent months. Afterwards, Harrell said the tribute was “almost overwhelming.” “I didn’t expect to be roasted and toasted.”
Studley said the Soboleff-McRae building is now finished except for a Wayne Price-carved sign that will face Second Avenue and Dalton Street.
HAL has funds for landscaping a small “Veterans’ Park” on the Third Avenue and Dalton Street corner of the lot, Studley said. “Hopefully, that will be more of a community project because we’ve got just enough money for some landscaping there.”
The cost of the completed Soboleff-McRae building is about $9 million, which included a state grant of $6 million and money to purchase the former Thunderbird Motel, which occupied the building site.