Community Health Center to add evening hours
Federal money boosts schedule
New federal funding will enable the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge to stay open three hours later on weekdays to provide medical and behavioral health care.
The plan announced by Health Center leaders would establish the center’s hours at 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The starting date for the new schedule has not been announced.
The center at 126 N. 10th St. now closes at 5 p.m. The new schedule would add three hours in the evening.
During those extra three hours, primary medical care, mental health medication management, therapy services and urgent care would be available.
Dental care would only be available until 5 p.m.
“At Community Health Center, we are committed to meeting the needs of our patients, many of whom work in local factories and face challenges accessing routine medical and behavioral health care during traditional hours,” said Renae Kruckenberg, the center’s chief executive officer.
“Their work schedules often conflict with office hours, leading to difficult choices between missing work or seeking health care,” she added. “By offering expanded hours, we aim to offer more flexible appointment times, ensuring our patients can receive the care they need without jeopardizing their jobs or resorting to emergency services for non-urgent issues.”
The center received $500,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration to help pay for the expanded schedule.
Community Health Center accepts all patients regardless of their insurance status. It accepts most private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. It also offers a sliding fee scale based on an individual’s ability to pay.