Phina Chan leads the Cambodian Long Drum Group at the grand opening for the Hunter Health Clinic at Inter-Faith Ministries at 935 N. Market. Chan is the director of outreach at the clinic. He lead a parade of people around the building while the drum group played.
Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle
Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle
BY RON SYLVESTER
The Wichita Eagle
To watch the video, click here.
Jaynette Miller used to be the only health care professional seeing patients in two rooms at Inter-Faith Ministries.
This summer, the registered nurse practitioner is one of three medical providers working nine exam rooms at the new Hunter Health Clinic at Ninth and Market.
The new health clinic, which works with the uninsured and underinsured, held its grand opening Monday.
The new building will triple the number of patients it can handle in Midtown Wichita. The clinic expects to see 5,000 patients a year.
For the past 10 years, the clinic has operated out of Inter-Faith Ministries two blocks away, where it was limited to 1,600 patients.
If they needed lab work, they had to be sent to the main clinic at 2318 E. Central.
That may not seem far to some people, but it was for Hunter patients, Miller said.
"Many people don't have rides," said Miller, the clinic director. "Some can't afford the bus. Now, they don't have to go anywhere. We can do it here."
The Central clinic now sends daily couriers to pick up samples for testing.
The $500,000, 3,545-square-foot project was funded by federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It broke ground last summer and began seeing patients in June.
"You're supposed to have three exam rooms for every provider, so it's hard to grow without having more space," said Michelle Base, chief operations officer, who wrote the grants that helped build the new clinic.
The Central clinic had extended hours, staying open until 10 p.m.
"That helped a little, but you reach the point you need more providers," Base said. "This gives us the room we need to add more providers and serve more patients."
Those attending the open house said the new facility feels like a medical clinic, as opposed to treating people for illnesses in a homeless shelter.
"Everyone in our community deserves a place like this to receive their health care," Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton said.
Hunter is not finished growing, either.
Suzette Schwartz, chief executive, said another clinic is set to open next month in the Planeview neighborhood. That clinic will be at 2750 S. Roosevelt and have six exam rooms.
It currently serves people in two rooms at the Brookside-Vida en Cristo United Methodist Church.
Reach Ron Sylvester at 316-268-6514 or rsylvester@wichitaeagle.com.
To watch the video, click here.
Jaynette Miller used to be the only health care professional seeing patients in two rooms at Inter-Faith Ministries.
This summer, the registered nurse practitioner is one of three medical providers working nine exam rooms at the new Hunter Health Clinic at Ninth and Market.
The new health clinic, which works with the uninsured and underinsured, held its grand opening Monday.
The new building will triple the number of patients it can handle in Midtown Wichita. The clinic expects to see 5,000 patients a year.
For the past 10 years, the clinic has operated out of Inter-Faith Ministries two blocks away, where it was limited to 1,600 patients.
If they needed lab work, they had to be sent to the main clinic at 2318 E. Central.
That may not seem far to some people, but it was for Hunter patients, Miller said.
"Many people don't have rides," said Miller, the clinic director. "Some can't afford the bus. Now, they don't have to go anywhere. We can do it here."
The Central clinic now sends daily couriers to pick up samples for testing.
The $500,000, 3,545-square-foot project was funded by federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It broke ground last summer and began seeing patients in June.
"You're supposed to have three exam rooms for every provider, so it's hard to grow without having more space," said Michelle Base, chief operations officer, who wrote the grants that helped build the new clinic.
The Central clinic had extended hours, staying open until 10 p.m.
"That helped a little, but you reach the point you need more providers," Base said. "This gives us the room we need to add more providers and serve more patients."
Those attending the open house said the new facility feels like a medical clinic, as opposed to treating people for illnesses in a homeless shelter.
"Everyone in our community deserves a place like this to receive their health care," Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton said.
Hunter is not finished growing, either.
Suzette Schwartz, chief executive, said another clinic is set to open next month in the Planeview neighborhood. That clinic will be at 2750 S. Roosevelt and have six exam rooms.
It currently serves people in two rooms at the Brookside-Vida en Cristo United Methodist Church.
Reach Ron Sylvester at 316-268-6514 or rsylvester@wichitaeagle.com.
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