OBH plans buildout of new Long Beach clinic
Published 2:20 pm Sunday, February 15, 2026
LONG BEACH — The new year brought with it new local health care opportunities following the opening of a new clinic, and it’s not all Ocean Beach Health has planned this year.
Housed in the former DaVita Dialysis Center building at 101 18th St. SE in Long Beach, OBH’s women’s and children’s health clinic had a low-key opening on Jan. 2. But south Pacific County’s public hospital district has grander plans for the property, which are set to get underway this month.
Merry-Ann Keane, who began as OBH’s CEO in September 2024, has a background in women’s and children’s health and had identified a gap in those services locally. The district’s elected board of commissioners gave OBH its support to explore ways to expand access to those services.
“Many women and parents were traveling long distances for care, and expanding local access was identified as an opportunity to better serve the community,” OBH said in a statement to the Observer.
The district finalized the purchase of the building last November, which had been dormant after DaVita had previously shuttered the dialysis center in February 2024. The district bought the property for just over $1 million, county records show.
OBH said the purchase of the property was funded through a combination of district resources, philanthropic support and community fundraising, and is separate from and not funded by the district’s bond-supported projects. The Ocean Beach Health Foundation is currently working to raise an additional $150,000 — increasing its contributions to $200,000 in total — to support expanded women’s and children’s health services.
Current, future plans
After the acquisition, OBH’s facilities team began renovating the space for clinical use to allow it to quickly open its doors. This first phase included preparation of exam rooms, a procedure room, a reception and back-office area, provider offices, improved restrooms, a quarantine room, a staff lounge, and a waiting space — including a children’s waiting area and a separated sick-child area.
Opening less than two months after the purchase of the building was completed, the clinic currently has two patient exam rooms and one women’s procedure room. It is staffed by one provider, at this time: Corinne Reeves, a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner.
Reeves provides women-specific health services but is not a primary care provider. She is currently seeing 6-8 patients per day, OBH said.
The second phase of the buildout is expected to begin this month and calls for the former dialysis treatment room to be transformed into six additional patient rooms. Other additions include a care team station and a classroom space designed for education and group visits, according to OBH, “such as sessions for patients to learn together and build support networks.”
Completion of that phase is expected by June, with OBH anticipating adding a pediatrician and a pediatric nurse practitioner to its roster at the clinic.
“Providing care close to home is a priority for Ocean Beach Health,” said Keane. “Expanding local access to women’s and children’s services helps reduce travel burdens for families and strengthens the health of our community. The Long Beach Clinic represents a phased approach to meeting those needs thoughtfully and sustainably.”
The Observer will have additional coverage of the clinic following the completion of the second phase of construction.