Napa Valley Register—Grant will fund upgrades at Clinic Ole in Calistoga

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson presented Community Health Clinic Ole with a $175,000 check Monday, with the money going toward updating the clinic's Calistoga facility.

The grant money, which was made available through the federal Affordable Care Act, will help upgrade the clinic's phones and computers as well as its heating and air conditioning system.

“When we opened (the Calistoga clinic), it was all hand-me-downs,” said Maria Criscione Stel, Clinic Ole's director of communications.

The Calistoga clinic serves about 5,600 patients each year and operates out of a modular unit, Criscione Stel said. The modular unit is about 13 years old and was previously located near Lake Berryessa. It was moved to Calistoga in 2007 due to higher patient demand.

Criscione Stel described the clinic's phone system as “antiquated,” and said the clinic also lacked a dedicated computer server, which has led to delays and other communication breakdowns.

The Affordable Care Act has supported renovation projects involving 190 health centers as well as the creation of 67 new health center sites nationwide, according to Thompson's office.

Over the next two years, the law will support more than 485 health center construction and renovation projects and the creation of 245 new health center sites for underserved populations.