BAXTER — Essentia Health announced plans for a new musculoskeletal center in the Brainerd Lakes area.
The Essentia Health Musculoskeletal Center-Baxter will expand care options for patients across the region, the health care provider stated in a news release.
The clinic will be located at the site of the former Camping World, 14275 Edgewood Drive, Baxter. It will provide approximately 50,000 square feet of space where Essentia will supplement its existing services with new offerings.
The center will offer orthopedic surgery, podiatry, rheumatology, endocrinology, interventional pain care, sports medicine and more. It will provide comprehensive care, including diagnostic imaging — X-ray, MRI and fluoroscopy — treatment and rehab.
“We are always looking for ways to better serve the community we call home, and this investment will advance the care we provide our family, friends and neighbors,” stated Dr. Christopher Metz, an orthopedic surgeon at Essentia, in a news release. “This is an exciting opportunity to combine the best technology with the expertise of our team and deliver a wide range of care under one roof.”
The renovated space will feature 70 exam and procedure rooms as well as an indoor and outdoor rehabilitation gym. Patients will also have access to orthopedic urgent care, the first program in the region designed specifically to treat orthopedic injuries immediately, according to the provider.
It will feature Baxter’s first drive-through pharmacy and expanded spine services to bring expert care to adults with back and neck pain, including Essentia's SpineX program, which is designed to help patients with spine conditions by improving strength, flexibility and reducing pain.
An additional 50,000 square feet of space inside the building will initially be unused. Moving forward, Essentia stated it will evaluate how best to incorporate that into the clinic site.
Essentia leaders hope to break ground on this project in 2025. Construction is anticipated to take approximately 18 months.