CHC/SEK CLINICS ADAPTING TO WINTER STORM/ OPEN FRIDAY WITH MODIFIED HOURS
As extreme winter temperatures continue to drop over the next 12 to 24 hours, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas will be open on Friday with modified hours from 9 AM to 3 PM at all clinic locations. Wind chills reaching below -40 degrees are expected in some areas before warming begins.
CHC/SEK CEO Krista Posta says, “as an essential services provider, the communities we serve count on us to be there. We’re seeing many flu cases, and some patients need access to our walk-in care clinics. Others need to keep important scheduled appointments. We are contacting our patients through our texting system and their patient portals, to let them know of the hours changes, and asking what they need from us during these emergency conditions.”
At the Pittsburg location, the CHC/SEK’S Apothecare Pharmacy staff have taken to 4-wheel drive vehicles to deliver needed medications to area patients. “Blood pressure, diabetes meds, you do not want to stop those,” says pharmacist Chris Reynolds. “You want to take those continuously, and we’re here to take care of our patients.”
All CHC/SEK clinics will close Saturday at noon, (Christmas Eve) remain closed Christmas day and reopen Monday.
CHC/SEK Fort Scott to host walk-in mammogram event
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is making it easy for women to maximize their health insurance benefits before the end of the year by getting an annual mammogram.
It is recommended that all women age 50 to 74 years of age have a screening mammogram at least every two years. For women who choose to begin screening at age 40 years, it is recommended that they have a screening mammogram every one to two years.
Walk-in mammograms will be available between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. at the Fort Scott main clinic located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. No appointment or doctor’s referral required.
Screening mammography is used to detect breast changes in women who have no signs or symptoms or new breast abnormalities. The goal is to detect cancer before clinical signs are noticeable.
“If you are having symptoms, or you are at an increased risk of breast cancer, it is best to be seen by a health care provider for an exam and to ensure the correct testing is performed,” said CHC/SEK Chief Medical Officer Dr. Linda Bean, DO.
December is a crucial time to plan for health care costs: 1) deductibles will reset in January and 2) it’s your last chance to use any money you’ve put in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
CHC/SEK participates in the Early Detection Works which is a breast and cervical cancer screening program for Kansas women and the clinic offers other financial assistance programs ensuring every woman who needs a mammogram will receive one regardless of income or insurance status.
Women in Southeast Kansas rank far below state and national averages in receiving this life-saving screening, and having the service available within the clinic helps remove barriers many women have in receiving timely breast cancer screenings. Likewise, the walk-in event will give patients an option on when they can arrive.
CHC/SEK uses the Hologic Genius system that screens the breast in 4 seconds for a much less compression time, with less radiation exposure than many conventional mammography machines. The Genius exam is also superior for denser breasts, that can hide early signs of cancer in a traditional mammogram.
In addition, the Hologic Genius scans potentially reduce patient callback by up to 40 percent compared to 2D, sparing the emotional and economic toll of additional testing, including biopsies when there could be nothing wrong.
For more information people can call 620-223-8484.
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is making it easy for women to maximize their health insurance benefits before the end of the year by getting an annual mammogram.
The mammography event is open to any woman who has not had a mammogram in the last year. Walk-in mammograms will be available between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. at the Fort Scott main clinic located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. No appointment or doctor’s referral required.
December is a crucial time to plan for health care costs: 1) deductibles will reset in January and 2) it’s your last chance to use any money you’ve put in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
CHC/SEK participates in the Early Detection Works which is a breast and cervical cancer screening program for Kansas women and the clinic offers other financial assistance programs ensuring every woman who needs a mammogram will receive one regardless of income or insurance status.
Women in Southeast Kansas rank far below state and national averages in receiving this life-saving screening, and having the service available within the clinic helps remove barriers many women have in receiving timely breast cancer screenings. Likewise, the walk-in event will give patients an option on when they can arrive.
CHC/SEK uses the Hologic Genius system that screens the breast in 4 seconds for a much less compression time, with less radiation exposure than many conventional mammography machines. The Genius exam is also superior for denser breasts, that can hide early signs of cancer in a traditional mammogram.
In addition, the Hologic Genius scans potentially reduce patient callback by up to 40 percent compared to 2D, sparing the emotional and economic toll of additional testing, including biopsies when there could be nothing wrong.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas at Fort Scott is pushing forward the opening date for their new facility.
They moved into the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital in February 2019 and will move into the former Price Chopper building in February 2023 as plans now stand.
The Price Chopper building, 2322 S. Main.
“Due to delays in receiving some materials, including most of the doors and pieces of the heating/cooling system, and some unanticipated design changes, it now appears that CHC/SEK’s opening of our new facility in the former Price Chopper building will be delayed until sometime to February 2023,” CEO Krista Postai said.
“We will be combining both the main clinic and Walk-In Care Clinic into the same facility along with our pharmacy, complete with drive-through window,” she said. “We are especially excited about the installation of a new CT scanner in this facility along with 3-D mammography, conventional x-ray, ultrasound and bone density testing equipment making it one of the best-equipped health centers in the country.”
“Once fully relocated, we do expect to sell our Walk-In Care building, which is being listed with a local realtor,” Postai said. “Proceeds from the sale of this building will be directed toward the cost of renovating the new clinic.”
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed in December 2018.
To view information on the transition of Mercy Clinics to CHC view:
Meanwhile new additions are being added to the CHC staff.
“Recruitment for an additional psychiatric provider in Ft. Scott is also underway, with plans to also add therapy and addiction treatment services once the new clinic opens,” she said.
“We were pleased to welcome Dr. Frank Miller, a well-known and respected chiropractor, to CHC/SEK,” she said.
Dr. Miller was owner of Back to Health Chiropractic in Ft. Scott and in making the move, Dr Miller said, “With the collaboration of other medical disciplines, I believe I will be able to serve my patients with a higher quality of care. The mission of CHC/SEK is right in line with my own and I also believe that I will be able to serve a larger segment of the community than I could in private practice.”
“Toward that end, our new facility will have an expanded area for Wellness Services including Dr. Miller’s practice,” Postai said. “He is now accepting appointments at our Main Clinic; former patients are most welcome.”
“Also joining us in Ft. Scott in our Walk-In clinic is APRN Michael McNellis,” she said. “Originally from Overland Park she received her BSN from MidAmerica Nazarene University and her MSN from Rockhurst University.”
Transportation Services
“Effective November 1, CHC/SEK assumed responsibility for Ascension/Via Christi’s Care Van service,” Postai said. “We’re spending the first few weeks getting familiar with their vehicles and new scheduling software we acquired and will be expanding the service – which is transitioning to state-supported public transportation. This means it will take riders other places besides medical facilities. Starting in Crawford County, it will be available in both Bourbon and Cherokee counties as soon as our additional vehicles become available. We will publicize its availability through the media including our Facebook page once we expand.”
New Clinic In Garnett
Also, November 1, CHC opened a new clinic in Garnett, Kansas. Dr. Ross Kimball MD, former owner of Pheasant Ridge Family Medicine in Garnett, transitioned his practice over to CHC/SEK full-time this week.
Ascension Via Christi, Pittsburg. Submitted photo.
Ascension Via Christi will be transitioning its Care Van program to Southeast Kansas Community Health Center as of Nov. 1.
“Our goal when we established the Care Van program was to ensure our community’s residents had access to their medical services and appointments,” says Charlotte Russell, physician services director at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg. “We are happy that this transition will still allow Pittsburg residents that convenience through the Community Health Center, which aligns with our overall goal of ensuring rural Kansans’ have continued access to close-to-home care.”
To continue using the Care Van program after Oct. 31, patients will need to call 620-231-9873 to schedule their transportation. “We want to ask that you join us in thanking our Ascension Via Christi Care Van team for their hard work and dedication to our Mission and the Pittsburg community,” says Russell. ### About Ascension Via Christi In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 75 other sites of care and employs nearly 6,400 associates. Across the state, Ascension Via Christi provided nearly $89 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty infiscal year 2021. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the leading non-profit and Catholic health system in the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
CHC/SEK-FORT SCOTT SCHEDULES SATURDAY SEPT. 17 DRIVE-THRU FLU SHOT CLINIC
By getting a flu shot now, you can protect yourself and your family and friends!
Flu season is coming, and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is offering a “drive-thru” flu shot clinic on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9AM – 2 PM. The event will be held in the parking lot at 2322 S. Main Street, the future location of CHC/SEK’S new clinic, presently under construction.
The drive-through flu clinic is recommended for everyone six-months of age and older, because it effectively decreases flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.
There is no out-of-pocket cost for participants. It only takes a few minutes to get vaccinated. To help keep the vaccination line moving, please wear clothing where your shoulder is easily exposed.
By getting a flu shot now, you will protect yourself and your family and friends!
Flu vaccines and good hand hygiene are still the go-to recommendations for prevention; however, public health officials say it is just as important to contain the virus, which means staying home when you are sick.
Flu shots are also available at all CHC/SEK clinics on a walk-in basis or by appointment.
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
The new boosters are formulated to better protect against COVID-19 variants
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is now offering updated COVID-19 booster, Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent vaccine.
The BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant are currently causing most cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and are predicted to circulate this fall and winter.
The updated boosters are available at most CHC/SEK locations at no out-of-pocket cost to the recipients. Vaccinations are available on a walk-in basis, or by appointment at most CHC/SEK locations.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
The bivalent vaccines, which are also referred to as “updated boosters,” contain two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of SARS-CoV-2 virus, one of the original strains of SARS-CoV-2 and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
“COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save lives and prevent the most serious outcomes (hospitalization and death) of COVID-19,” said Linda Bean, D.O., FAAFP Chief Clinical Officer atCommunity Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
“As we head into the fall and winter season with the potential for greater virus spread in schools and at work, now is the time for everyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccination to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) clinics has received the recently authorized Novavax vaccine as the latest tool in the fight against COVID-19. To date, the Baxter Springs, Coffeyville, Columbus, Fort Scott, Iola, Parsons, Pittsburg, and Pittsburg South clinics have received doses. Vaccinations are available on a walk-in basis, or by appointment. There is no out-of-pocket cost to receive the vaccine at CHC/SEK.
The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is the latest authorized and recommended vaccine to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death caused by the virus. Novavax is manufactured using a familiar type of protein-based vaccine technology that has been used for more than 30 years in shots that help prevent diseases like shingles, hepatitis B, the flu and other illnesses.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine on July 13 for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 12 years of age and older who have not received a primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine previously.
Access to multiple types of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA and recommended by the CDC gives people more options and flexibility to choose their vaccine.
The Novavax vaccine is given in a two-dose primary series, with a second dose administered between three-to-eight weeks after the first.
Neither a booster nor a third dose is authorized at this time.
“We now have another tool to manage COVID-19,” said Linda Bean, D.O., FAAFP, Chief Clinical Officer at CHC/SEK. “Novavax provides another option for a safe, effective and free vaccine. With the BA.5 variant continuing to spread, now is the best time to get a vaccine if you haven’t already.”
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is moving forward on the renovation of the former Price Chopper building on South Main.
“We are waiting on (City of Fort Scott) building permits before moving forward on the Price Chopper building, so there is nothing major to report,” CEO and President of CHC/SEK Krista Postai, said. “Apparently, the engineer is on vacation.”
Update later in the day from Postai: “We were issued a temporary 90-day-permit yesterday and we’re back to work,” she said.
The land given CHC on the west side of the former Mercy building, which they had made plans to build a new facility on, is being given back to Bourbon County who owns the building.
“Regarding the land,” she said. “Which is basically the large parking lot behind the hospital plus the helipad, we were told by the county, it would be needed by whoever opted to assume responsibility for the hospital. Our Board agreed to exchange the land, which actually cost us about $125,000 in legal and platting fees, for our remaining rent on our clinic in the hospital. We do understand that was approved by the county commission and they would be in touch with us to finalize the agreement.”
“Once we have the transfer formalized, it will go to the CHC/SEK Board for final approval, Postai said. “It was suggested to us that there is another potential group interested in reopening the hospital now that Noble has moved on.”
Commissioner Beth Comment on The Former Mercy Building
Bourbon County Commissioner Clifton Beth said the county is “still trying to engage with several entities to do something with the building. We’ve been doing this for two years. I want to make sure we have an emergency room in Bourbon County and sustainable health care.”
Recent Mammogram Walk-In
“We had a record number of women get a mammogram at our Walk-In event from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 27th in Ft. Scott,” she said. “Ninety-one women over age 40 ‘walked in’ and received a 3D mammogram regardless of ability to pay. CHC/SEK continued the effort August 2 and 3rd at their Pittsburg clinic. The goal is to increase the number of women who have had mammograms in southeast Kansas – which falls far below the state and national averages.”
Jobs at CHC
The following are the current list of job openings in Fort Scott for CHC:
CHC/SEK Fort Scott to provide walk-in mammograms July 27
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is hosting a walk-in mammogram event for women age 40 and older who have not received a recent mammogram.
The event will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at the Fort Scott main clinic located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd Fort Scott. Refreshments and a gift will be provided.
Women in Southeast Kansas rank far below state and national averages in receiving this life-saving screening, and having the service available within the clinic helps remove barriers many women have in receiving timely breast cancer screenings. Likewise, the walk-in event will give patients an option on when they can arrive.
Because CHC/SEK believes every woman should have the best quality mammogram available, every patient receives a 3D exam. A physician’s referral is also not required. The screening is available to eligible women regardless of ability to pay.
CHC/SEK uses the Hologic Genius system that screens the breast in 4 seconds for a much less compression time, with less radiation exposure than many conventional mammography machines. The Genius exam is also superior for denser breasts that that can hide early signs of cancer in a traditional mammogram.
In addition, the Hologic Genius scans potentially reduce patient callback by up to 40 percent compared to 2D, sparing the emotional and economic toll of additional testing, including biopsies when there could be nothing wrong.
For more information people can call 620-223-8484.
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is hosting a walk-in mammogram event for women age 40 and older who have not received a recent mammogram.
The event will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at the Fort Scott main clinic located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd Fort Scott. Refreshments and a gift will be provided.
Women in Southeast Kansas rank far below state and national averages in receiving this life-saving screening, and having the service available within the clinic helps remove barriers many women have in receiving timely breast cancer screenings. Likewise, the walk-in event will give patients an option on when they can arrive.
Because CHC/SEK believes every woman should have the best quality mammogram available, every patient receives a 3D exam. A physician’s referral is also not required. The screening is available to eligible women regardless of ability to pay.
CHC/SEK uses the Hologic Genius system that screens the breast in 4 seconds for a much less compression time, with less radiation exposure than many conventional mammography machines. The Genius exam is also superior for denser breasts that that can hide early signs of cancer in a traditional mammogram.
In addition, the Hologic Genius scans potentially reduce patient callback by up to 40 percent compared to 2D, sparing the emotional and economic toll of additional testing, including biopsies when there could be nothing wrong.
For more information people can call 620-223-8484.
FORT SCOTT — Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is hosting a walk-in mammogram event for women age 40 and older who have not received a recent mammogram.
The event will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at the Fort Scott main clinic located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd Fort Scott. Refreshments and a gift will be provided.
Women in Southeast Kansas rank far below state and national averages in receiving this life-saving screening, and having the service available within the clinic helps remove barriers many women have in receiving timely breast cancer screenings. Likewise, the walk-in event will give patients an option on when they can arrive.
Because CHC/SEK believes every woman should have the best quality mammogram available, every patient receives a 3D exam. A physician’s referral is also not required. The screening is available to eligible women regardless of ability to pay.
CHC/SEK uses the Hologic Genius system that screens the breast in 4 seconds for a much less compression time, with less radiation exposure than many conventional mammography machines. The Genius exam is also superior for denser breasts that that can hide early signs of cancer in a traditional mammogram.
In addition, the Hologic Genius scans potentially reduce patient callback by up to 40 percent compared to 2D, sparing the emotional and economic toll of additional testing, including biopsies when there could be nothing wrong.
For more information people can call 620-670-6710.
