MODESTO BEE
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

By KEN CARLSON
BEE STAFF WRITER

Last Updated: May 18, 2006, 04:11:37 AM PDT

Stanislaus County supervisors, faced with a decision to close one of its health centers, voted Tuesday night to sell the Medical Arts Building on 17th Street and hold onto the former county hospital site on Scenic Drive, both in Modesto.

In a meeting dominated by health issues, the board also approved an application to have the county's primary care and urgent care clinics designated as federally qualified health centers. If the federal government approves, the change in designation could boost Medi-Cal and Medicare payments to the clinics, giving the health system an increase in net revenue of more than $3 million a year.

In addition, supervisors approved a cost-cutting plan for county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, which will result in the closure of mental health centers in Ceres, Oakdale and Patterson, effective July 1.

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