The Clinton Daily Democrat was recently able to reach out to Administrator Peggy Bowles with the Henry County Health Center to discuss their upcoming move. The Health Center, currently located at Compass Health on Community Drive here in town, will be moving to a new location this year. The spot, if you haven’t seen it, will be on Third Street (behind Hawthorn Bank). Dirt is being moved and the site prepared. The tentative date for completion is mid-September. The project, which cost about $1.5 million, is being completed by Kalusen Construction.
Administrator Bowles said that, along with the move, services will also expand. One of reasons for the choice for the new location was to address accessibility and be closer to the downtown area: “We are really excited to be closer to the downtown area,” said Administrator Bowles. “We are excited to open the new facility and be able to to do some things we have not been able to do.”
Bowles said that an additional reason for moving was that they were, simply, out of space. In the current 700+ square-foot facility some of the employees are sharing offices. All that should change when the new 5,000 square-foot facility opens. The new Health Center will also add at least three more staff in addition to the 14 already employed.
With the change in location, Bowles is hopeful to also expand services. “We will expand services and take on more contracts,” said Bowles. She hopes to take on more senior service engagements and also ease transportation issues many of the Health Center patrons face – being more central to downtown should alleviate some of those issues.
Peggy Bowles has been the administrator for the Henry County Health Center for the past 7 years (it will be 8 years in May) and she encourages folks to use the Health Center resources. In addition to providing nursing services (vaccinations, testing, and rural school nursing assistance), infant and child services, environmental services, and community education services, the Health Center tests water samples, and provides patient lab services at greatly reduced costs (labs that can cost $100 or so can be obtained at substantially reduced rates through the health center). The Health Center also provides shingles vaccines for Henry County residents aged 65 or older at no cost.
For more information about what services the Henry County Health Center provides, feel free to call them at: (660) 885 – 8193.
