Choptank Community Health System is moving forward with the construction of its new health center at 320 Hargraves Dr. in Federalsburg with the recent selection of Harper & Sons, Inc. of Easton, Md. as the general contractor for the project. The new state-of-the-art center will be replacing Choptank Health’s current location on Bloomingdale Avenue, with the contract awarded to Harper & Sons, Inc. after a competitive bidding process.
“Harper & Sons share our passion for excellence and a deep commitment to community,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We have worked with Harper & Sons on other renovations and are impressed by the number of successful commercial projects they’ve completed throughout the Eastern Shore.”
Harper & Sons, Inc. was founded in 1968 by Howard G. Harper in Easton, Md. after his work as a general manager for the ES Adkins Company Lumberyard in Easton. He started the business as a way for him and his sons to meet the construction needs of the rapidly developing Eastern Shore.
Today, Harper & Sons, Inc. is managed by the third generation of family members, with project experience that includes working with the Town of St. Michaels, Caroline County, Easton Utilities Commission, St. Michaels Community Center, University of Maryland Medical System, Salisbury University, Compass Hospice, and more.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work on this meaningful project for Choptank Community Health and the people of Federalsburg,” says Harper & Sons Vice President Benson Harper. “We look forward to overseeing the project—as our top management does on all of our projects—to ensure a high level of responsibility and personal attention to critical details throughout the building process.”
The new center is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2024 and will include more than 20,000 square feet of space for Choptank Health to address the increasing demand for healthcare services in the area.
The new Federalsburg Health Center will also include an expanded number of exam rooms available for Choptank Health’s dental and medical patients, and dedicated spaces for behavioral health services. The new center will also serve as the hub for Choptank Health’s dental, pediatric dental, and physician rural residency programs.
Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich says that its current Federalsburg health center currently sees more than 5,100 medical and dental patients and has outgrown the space.
“We are extremely grateful for the community’s support of our new Federalsburg facility,” said Rich. “Our state-of-the-art modern facility will help to provide the best access to quality medical and dental care for Caroline County and Federalsburg.”
Choptank Community Health System announced plans for the new Federalsburg Health Center in 2021, after purchasing land for the new facility at 320 Hargraves Dr. with Caroline County Economic Development instrumental in helping to identify the land for the new Federalsburg Health Center. Architectural and engineering firm George, Miles & Buhr, LLC of Salisbury is charged with the new facility’s design.
Funding for the center includes $750k from Caroline County to help fund the new facility’s construction and $125k from the Town of Federalsburg to help fund sewer and water expenses. The new Federalsburg Health Center also received an $829K U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration one-time capital improvement grant, $2.9M in congressionally-directed spending, and$420,893 from the Maryland Governor’s capital budget.
Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health services to more than 30,000 adults and children in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Medical services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.
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