POMEROY — Family Health Care, the federally-qualified health center in Middleport, could have a new home for its Meigs County practice if federal health care stimulus funds are awarded as they are expected to be.

Mark Bridenbach, the executive director of the Chillicothe-based non-profit firm, said county commissioners and others working to expand health care services in Meigs County have visited a new 10,000 square-foot Family Health Care office in McArthur, which could serve as a model for a new facility here.

Bridenbach said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to make $1.5 billion available to Federally-Qualified Health Centers, like Family Health Care, for construction of new clinic facilities.

Bridenbach said Family Health Care’s medical practice in Middleport, which relocated there from Pomeroy just last year, could be soon and once again in need of space. Bridenbach said federal stimulus funds awarded Monday will provide funds for a second family physician and other staff, but said that could create more space problems for the growing practice.

Bridenbach said the practice is seeing an increase in demand for medical services on a sliding scale, because more patients are finding themselves unemployed and without health care coverage. Family Health Care sees patients without regard for medical insurance coverage.

County Commissioner Mick Davenport said land for such a new facility would be available at the Rocksprings site where commissioners hope a 24-hour emergency room could be built, if Family Health Care wishes to locate there. However, Davenport said, the practice can locate anywhere in the county if funds are awarded.

Any construction by Family Health Care would be independent of commissioners’ plans to secure stimulus funds for a new emergency room. Davenport said architectural plans have been completed for a 15,000 square-foot E.R., which would be built on land the Community Improvement Corporation owns near Meigs High School.