Staff with the Community Health Center of Central Missouri spent all day Friday moving furniture and equipment from its old location to its new site at 1511 Christie Drive.
They will begin seeing patients at the new location Monday.
The center's clinics remained open Friday during the move, despite much of its largest equipment being transferred that morning, Executive Director Jeff Davis said.
The goal was to make the move from 3400 W. Truman Blvd. to the 27,000-square-foot building on Christy Drive without disrupting services to clients, Davis said.
Dental staff were able to provide services at the old location all day Friday, he said. The new site has 14 operatories - dentists' working areas - which is twice as many as the old facility. Seven completely new areas are prepared for use on Monday. The older seven were to begin being moved after dentists completed their appointments Friday.
Once the center is operating in the Christy Drive building, the Cole County Health Department will begin a process of moving into the 17,000-square-foot Truman Boulevard location it vacated, an improvement over its current location at 1616 Industrial Drive, which is a mere 7,700 square feet.
The county agreed in December 2016 to buy the Truman Boulevard location for $1.5 million for its health department. It will put the Industrial Drive property up for sale after it is vacated.
As health center staff moved items into the new location Friday afternoon, they took a break to play catch in the new parking lot with water balloons.
Staff participated in catch, "Cookie-Face-Races" and other activities throughout the week as part of Employee Appreciation Week for the center, Davis said. Employees had dinner in the new facility Wednesday during an open house.
They even helped move furniture Friday, despite that not being in their job descriptions.
"That falls under 'other duties as assigned,'" Davis quipped. "They're taking that to heart."
It's an exciting time for the Community Health Center, Outreach Coordinator Lorna Cockrum said. Staff members are excited to have more room and to have the administration back under the same roof as the clinics. Administration had moved to a separate building years ago because, as the center grew, it ran out of room.
Not only does the new location allow the center to bring its administration back under the same roof, it leaves room for growth, Chief Clinical Officer Crystal Sullivan said.
"We're going to be able to expand our services," she said, "with more exam rooms and more efficient work flow."
Alongside U.S. 54 in a "recognizable building," the center will be easier for patients to access, she said.
"I think all the feedback we've had has been very good," Sullivan said. "It's good for the community to see something going into the facility. Patients are excited."
Staff have called patients to remind them the center is moving. Some staff will remain at the old facility Monday to complete the move and to direct patients to the new location.
"I can't thank my staff enough," Davis said. "They've had long nights, long weekends boxing stuff up and moving it over."