YARMOUTH — Preliminary construction has started for an expansion that will nearly double the size of the Yarmouth Health Center on Main Street.

InterMed announced its plans to remodel and add 10,000 square feet of administrative offices and examination rooms to the facility last week. It expects the work to be done by spring of 2012.

The existing 14,750-square-foot building at 259 Main St. in Yarmouth Village has been providing patients with family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine and physical therapy since 1986.

According to Dan McCormack, InterMed chief executive officer, the added space will accommodate a newly hired obstetrician gynecologist, a few more physicians and a pediatrician, as well as the existing family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics practices. The added space will also allow additional specialty physicians to use the space a few times a week, he said.

Having the space in the village for the past 25 years “has been terrific,” McCormack said. Instead of moving to an already established, bigger facility outside Yarmouth, he said, the renovations and expansion in the existing two-story location will better serve the patients.

He said while there are no new patient totals projected at this time, the organization has experienced a steady flow of new patients over time. Its primary care and family care physicians are filled to capacity in Portland and South Portland, and Yarmouth’s physicians are busy, but not quite full yet.

“As the population ages and more people move into the area, there is a shortage of primary care physicians at every turn,” McCormack said.

This expansion will answer the need for more physicians and specialty practices.

McCormack said the Yarmouth Health Center will not close during construction and everyone will work to minimize confusion and disruption for patients over the next year.

“It will be an artful dance of moving during the expansion and renovation,” he said.

Residents and patients are encouraged to watch the construction progress online, where there will be photographs and updates posted on the InterMed website.

“People walking by are also welcome to come by at any time,” he said. “This facility is located right in the village, which gives the project a different feel than the Portland location. It is in their community, so people should stop by and check it out.”

Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @amy_k_anderson.

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InterMed is renovating and adding 10,000 square feet to the Yarmouth Health Center. Preliminary construction has started already, and the project is expected to be complete by June 2012.

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