CLARION — The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge will open another location in Wright County this spring to meet the high demand for medical, dental and behavioral health care there.

The center’s leaders announced Friday that the former dental office of Dr. Pamela Kelch at 303 N. Main St. in Clarion has been purchased.

It will be the center’s second facility in Wright County. In March 2023, the center purchased the former dental office of Dr. Misty Shaver in Eagle Grove. Medical, dental and behavioral health care are now offered there. That center opened in July 2023, and since then nearly available appointment slot has been booked months into the future.

“Our Eagle Grove location has been busy from the start, especially dental services,” said Renae Kruckenberg, chief executive officer of the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge. “The need is there in Wright County and as a Federally Qualified Health Center we see the numbers, we know the need for care in this area.”

The process of filling some staff positions at the Eagle Grove site ultimately led to the acquisition of the Clarion office. Kruckenberg said one of the applicants indicated they would be available to work at the end of December because her current employer was retiring.

“This led to some investigation about the possibility of Community Health Center of Fort Dodge Inc. purchasing the practice from Kelch to continue dental services as well as add medical and behavioral health for the Clarion community,” Kruckenberg said.

The new site will be known as Community Health Center of Clarion. Dental care, primary medical care and behavioral health services such as diagnoses and medication management will be provided there.

The Clarion building is about twice the size of the one in Eagle Grove, so there will be room to provide all those services.

The Community Health Center has statistics showing the need for dental care in Wright County. For example, those statistics show that 15 percent of the kindergarteners and ninth graders in the county’s school districts need dental care or urgent dental care. That compares to a 12.8 percent statewide average.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the facility accepts private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid plus it offers a sliding fee scale for patients who qualify. That sliding fee scale is based on the patient’s ability to pay.

The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge has locations in Fort Dodge, Dayton, Mason City and Eagle Grove.