Ramona Residents 'Impressed' With New Urgent Care Facility

County Supervisor Dianne Jacob was among the Ramona residents that visited the long-awaited Ambulatory Care Center Saturday to check out the new facility and its offerings.

The $6 million urgent care center, which sits behind Starbucks and near the Ramona Library at 211 13^th Street, was designed by Mascari Warner Architects of San Diego, built by C.W. Driver and is co-owned by Palomar Health and Pacific Medical Buildings.

The space offers exam rooms, offices for physicians and a large waiting room.

Services provided by the new Ramona Ambulatory Care Center include:

• primary-care services
• point-of-care lab testing
• urgent care services

Residents who took the tour called the new facility "beautiful" and "big," with one woman exclaiming she "wouldn't mind going to the doctor, here!"

Jennifer Smith, a Ramona resident who works for Assisting Hands in Rancho Bernardo, said she was impressed with the center, calling it "inviting."

"I am very glad to see an ER center in Ramona," Smith said. "The people that work here seem very excited to be here. I'm very impressed."

Long-time Ramonan Penny King said the urgent care offerings were vital for the backcountry.

"I'm just thrilled—this is a long time coming," King said. "I'm so appreciative of the people that made it happen. The backcountry needs it."

King did suggest another entrance to the new health center, as the only way in is through 13th Street.

Leonel Sanchez, media relations manager for Palomar Health, said the hospital has three-acres of land to work with and an entrance from 14th street is still a possibility.

The Ramona Ambulatory Care Center and the 7,600-square-foot outpatient clinic was built with funds from Proposition BB, according to Palomar Health.

Physician office hours for the center are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Urgent Care Center hours will be 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Sanchez said the urgent care hours are subject to change as demand increases.

For more information about the Ramona clinic, call 760-789-5160 or visit www.ArchHealth.org.