Community Health Center of Fort Dodge receives grant for expanded hours

Biden-Harris Administration Announced today (1/14/25) an Investment for Adding Early Morning, Night, and Weekend Hours for Federally Qualified Health Centers. Community Health Center of Fort Dodge was named as one of those FQHCs that will receive funding. 

Health centers see patients regardless of ability to pay; early morning, late night, and weekend hours will provide new options for getting care for patients who lack sick leave or struggle with transportation, childcare and other issues during typical business hours 

Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a $500,000 investment in Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Inc, a HRSA-funded community health center that serves over 12,000 people yearly, to expand their hours of operation to improve access to health care services. Community Health Center of Fort Dodge will add additional hours of operation to support the critical clinical and administrative staff necessary to add early morning (before work) and evening hours. 

Since health centers see patients regardless of their ability to pay, this expansion of operating hours will be particularly critical for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or have Medicaid coverage and struggle to find affordable care outside of traditional business hours and cannot afford expensive visits to urgent care, retail clinics or emergency departments. This funding will also help health center patients with common challenges in accessing health care – for example, taking a child to the doctor after work or getting a timely appointment when you are not feeling well – and help connect patients to preventive services and resources for health-related social needs to improve health outcomes. Many patients currently forgo care altogether in these circumstances, putting their health at greater risk and leading to more expensive visits to emergency departments when conditions get more serious. 

The need for additional services in the Fort Dodge area was identified through focus groups as well as being discussed with the local Emergency Department, County Public Health Department, County Board of Supervisors and local industry HR Departments. The need for after hour primary care services was noted along with mental health medication management services after hours. The proposal is to extend their hours to 7AM to 8PM Monday-Friday, this would provide an additional 3 hours each day from 5PM to 8PM for primary medical care, mental health medication management, therapy services, and urgent care. 

“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. Their work schedules often conflict with office hours, leading to difficult choices between missing work or seeking healthcare. 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.” said Renae Kruckenberg, CEO, Community Health Center. 

“No one should have to delay or skip a trip to the doctor because of work or school. The millions of Americans who can’t miss their daytime work shift, whose kids are in school, who have limited childcare, or who face transportation challenges deserve the same access to quality care,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These investments will help to extend operating hours, especially for patients in rural or underserved communities nationwide. I’m proud to be part of an Administration that leaves nobody behind.” 

“Today’s action is another example of the Biden-Harris Administration taking action to address the challenges families face in getting health care services,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Having the option to get to the doctor before or after work or on the weekend not only helps families get the care they need, but it also helps relieve some of the stress and burden on families trying to arrange care. HRSA’s investment is expanding access to care in a way that recognizes the day-to-day realities of working families across the country.” 

HRSA-supported health centers provide access to primary care services—regardless of an individual’s ability to pay—for over 31 million patients at more than 15,000 service sites in high need communities. More than 90 percent of health center patients have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. 

For a list of all of today’s awardees, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/funding/funding-opportunities/expanded-hours/fy-25-awards 

To find a health center, visit: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.