Health center construction begins in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN — Construction of a new Community Health and Wellness Center (CHWC) in North Canaan officially began on Friday, March 3 as area representatives and supporters gathered at the site on East Main Street to break ground.

The project, 15 years in the making, will offer medical services to the many residents across the Northwest Corner with increased access to primary and behavioral healthcare services regardless of ability to pay.

The new center will be the third location for CHWC, with the other two located in Torrington and Winsted.

“Primary care and behavioral health services is what we’re going to offer,” said Joanne Borduas, chief executive officer at CHWC. Borduas added that individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, women’s health, and child and adolescent care are among the services that will be offered.

CHWC was awarded a bond contract of $3 million from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office for construction.

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) was in attendance at the groundbreaking and said the center is “going to make a huge difference for the whole Northwest corner.”

The Foundation for Community Health (FCH) awarded a $1.3 million grant toward this project. Borduas said FCH Director Nancy Heaton was instrumental in making this center possible.

“None of this can really happen until everybody gets on board,” said Heaton. “It really does, as they say, take a village.”

Borduas thanked Heaton and the FCH “for recognizing the critical need for access to healthcare services in the North Canaan area and their long-time quest to get us there.”

Construction on the project is expected to be completed by the end of November 2023.