Riviera Beach locals welcomed a significant upgrade to their healthcare options this week with the opening of FoundCare, a new health center that aims to provide comprehensive medical services to the community. CBS12 reported that the facility celebrated its grand opening yesterday and is conveniently situated on Broadway Avenue, with plans to start seeing patients on June 23.
The 20,000-square-foot center is expected to deliver a vast range of medical services among which are adult and pediatric care, women's health, dentistry, and behavioral health, built right in Riviera Beach's heart on the 3500 block of Broadway Avenue, according to WPBF. FoundCare's CEO, Christopher Irizarry, highlighted some alarming statistics such as life expectancy rates in the area lagging behind the national average, which he said, were among the motivations for establishing the new center.
Irizarry explained that many Riviera Beach residents had to travel long distances to access healthcare services, often impeding their ability to receive consistent care, he told WPBF. Riviera Beach, with one of Palm Beach County's lowest median incomes and an aging population, is projected to benefit greatly from FoundCare's proximity and available services.
Riviera Beach Mayor Douglas Lawson expressed the significance of the center's location saying, "Access to resources and access to health care is vital for our residents. So for them to be within walking distance of a clinic and provide service and support to them in our community is going to be something that's necessary with us having an aging population, just having the third lowest median income in Palm Beach County, its going to be something that’s essential," he told WPBF. The center also stands as a beacon of hope for those who may struggle financially, as Irizarry underscored the policy that no one will be turned away based on their ability to pay, with uninsured patients placed on a sliding scale according to family size and income.
With the community's health and wellbeing at the forefront, the FoundCare health center is poised to become a lifeline for many—Irizarry invites residents to see it as their medical home. "We want the people of Riviera Beach to know, most important of all, is that this is their medical home, that they're welcome here, and that there are people in this world that love them and care about them, and we want to see them healthy," he shared with WPBF, marking a new chapter in healthcare accessibility for the Riviera Beach populace.
