Renovations were set to begin in 2020 at the Indiana Health Center of Jackson County office in downtown Seymour, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans.
Workers with Patterson Horth Inc. contractors began working on the building at 120 St. Louis Ave. during the spring of 2021, and renovations were completed four months ago.
On April 14, IHC held an official ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration.
“Many of you have seen this building before it was turned into a health center when it was owned by Roger and Mary Ann Pardieck,” said Elvin Plank, president and chief executive officer of Indiana Health Centers Inc. “We feel so blessed they were willing to sell this building to us, and there are tons of people here who played an enormous role in making this building a health center.”
Plank said IHC board member Andy Fountain was a very strong advocate of not only acquiring the corner building and converting it into a health center but also recently acquiring the adjacent building from the Pardiecks so the health center can expand even more. The newly acquired space is located just to the east of the present office on St. Louis Avenue.
“I’m so glad we got this building and the rest of it to finish out as a health center,” Fountain said. “When the other part
became available next door, it seemed to happen pretty quick, and I’m glad that we got the board convinced and could jump on that when it became available.”
The corner building where the IHC is now located was built in the 1850s and eventually became an office for Pardieck and his wife, who then sold it to IHC, Plank said.
At the end of 2019, the Pardiecks closed The Pardieck Law Firm in Seymour, as Roger brought his 55-year law career to an end.
The Halstead Architects team was responsible for turning the corner building into what it is now, and architect Michelle Doyle created the designs for the health center’s recent remodeling, Plank said.
“Thank you, Elvin and Patterson Horth contractors, for giving us such a great building here,” said Doyle, who grew up in North Vernon. “It’s such a joy to work on a historic building to save a piece of downtown history and to give back to this community.”
Doyle said Indiana Health Center has been a really good community partner for everyone involved, giving access to affordable health care at the downtown Seymour location. Before the move, the health center had been located nearby in the Community Agency Building at 113 N. Chestnut St.
Plank also thanked Mike Halstead, president of Halstead Architects and a registered architect, who has worked with IHC on many occasions and had fantastic results.
Chad Springer, chief operations and quality officer for IHC, thanked Patterson Horth’s Cody Brown and team.
“Also, thank you to Amie Brunner for all the work she put into it and thank you to Halstead for making it all possible,” Springer said. “We’re looking forward to seeing patients in the future and looking forward to seeing patients in the building next door, too.”
Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson also thanked IHC for being a part of the downtown and for providing their services.
“You guys have been a valuable part of the downtown around 20 years now, and I didn’t realize it has been that long,” Nicholson said. “Seeing the move from the previous space to this space, you’ve done this really well, and it looks beautiful and it sounds like there are future plans in the mix, so that’s even better.”
Brunner, practice manager of Seymour’s health center, said the drawings are just beginning for Phase 3 at the adjacent building, and she believes the architects are going to try to have those done by June.
“We got the additional space in January or February, and it’s where Pardiecks used to rent out storage units and there’s other storage area,” Brunner said. “There’s a basement, first level and upper level.”
Brunner said this latest addition will help with future expansion and staff growth, and they hope to get another behavioral health provider and add more staff to better serve the community.
“Sometimes, it’s hard for patients to see their current providers when their schedule is so full, especially with the pandemic and people losing jobs and insurance,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of new patients come in with the sliding pay scale we use.”
Brunner said they have a lot of patients who walk to the health center or take a bus or someone drops them off, so that’s the beauty of being downtown, as it’s easy and convenient.
Halstead Architects will be doing the designs for the addition, and there is a possibility of between nine and 12 new examination rooms, plus additional space and storage. They have lots of ideas, Brunner said.
Information about the health center may be found online at indianahealthonline.org/our-locations/jackson-county.