The staff at Sun Life Family Health Center moves into the new location near the corner of State Route 347 and Bowlin. Photo by Raquel Hendrickson

By Raquel Hendrickson

The doors of Maricopa’s newest health center will be open for business a week before its open house and ribbon-cutting.

Sun Life Family Health Center is moving into its new digs at 44572 W. Bowlin Drive across from Copper Sky Recreational Complex. The doors open July 27.

The open house is set for Aug. 5, with a by-invitation crowd on hand for a ribbon-cutting that evening.

The new building is divided into family practice and pediatrics. A full pharmacy will move into the north end of the building later in the year, according to Practice Manager Angela Yellowhair.

She said there will be 12 examination rooms in the family practice section and six in the pediatrics side.

The 11,200-square-foot building was built by Alexander Building Company, Inc., of Scottsdale.

Sun Life community relations coordinator Lindsey Gemme said the health center “will grow from one physician and one family nurse practitioner to two of each, as well as introduce two new pediatric doctors in September.”

The building is expected to have a staff of 20.

Yellowhair said the structure of the building allows for strong security and confidentiality of patient records and provides a spacious waiting area. The interior space of the practice is constructed in a horseshoe shape, she said, to bring patients easily to the areas they need.

Sun Life is currently at the corner of John Wayne Parkway and Hathaway Avenue. Plans are to transform that building into a women’s health clinic.