Kaitlin Lembo is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the proposed medical center to be located in Prattsville is now out for bid. Bids to build the $1.75 million facility must be submitted by Jan. 12, Prattsville Town Supervisor Kristin Tompkins said. The 7,000 square-foot structure will be built on Washington Street, next to the senior workforce housing project. Construction of the main building has not begun, but electric, water, sewer are all ready, and the parking lot for the medical center has been laid, Prattsville Development Corporation Chairman Kevin Piccoli said. The new facility will house primary care, dental care, mental health services, telemedicine and a pharmacy. There are also plans for a pediatric unit, and an urgent care facility will be available for emergency visits. Prattsville was designated a medically underserved area by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a physician shortage area by the state Education Department. The medical facility was proposed after a 2014 reconstruction plan showed that residents were driving long distances for basic health care and even further for specialized care. The center is one of the largest developments to be undertaken since Tropical Storm Irene struck the area in 2011. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.