You might have heard a radio spot about the Knox Winamac Community Health Center, and there is a whole lot more to learn about their services beyond what can fit into a few moments of radio time.
Open since 2007, it serves primarily Starke and Pulaski counties. However, the staff welcomes any patient from the surrounding areas. The wide range of health services offered is captured in their mission statement: “It is the Mission of Knox Winamac Community Health Center to provide quality, primary health care services, accessible to persons in our community including the medically underinsured and uninsured. Our vision is to be the provider of choice for health care and health information for the communities we serve.”
An important area of health services that the center addresses with thoughtful focus is patients in need of emotional and behavioral therapy and treatment. When faced with trauma, grief, depression, sleep disorders and other behavioral issues, receiving care in a timely manner is critical. At Knox Winamac Community Health Center, patients seeking help can be seen as quickly as the same day they call.
“This is a huge advantage to people who often face much longer wait times at larger medical providers,” says Lori Truesdell, the licensed clinical social worker at the center. Truesdell points out that some community health centers have up to a year of wait time for a patient to be seen and treated.
One way the center can offer faster service is through telehealth, which is a video call program available on Fridays so that Truesdell can engage with a patient who is not able to come to the center in person. However, her preference is to see patients in person when possible. Truesdell has been practicing for nearly 35 years, and acknowledges that someone needing help or therapy can experience anxiety about making the appointment. She highlights how crucial it is for that person to be seen in a timely manner, and limit their likelihood of backing out of the appointment.
Truesdell encourages anyone teetering on needing help to reach out, and see how easy it is to be seen at the center, within a week or sometimes even the same day. Connecting someone in need of treatment with a professional trained to address and resolve mental health issues can be a pivotal point in a person’s path to better health.
“With my telehealth offerings, I can provide services to anyone in the state,” Truesdell says. “We provide short-term, crisis-centered intervention care solutions, as well as long-term therapy. We also consult with a patient’s primary medical provider to assess a patient’s individual needs.”
The center has two medical doctors and two nurse practitioners on staff, and they are supported by medical assistants and other staff to ensure a patient feels cared for throughout the treatment process.
Knox Winamac Community Health Center commonly serves patients who learn about the center from an existing patient who might be a friend or family member, as well as referrals from hospitals and other medical providers. Patients undergoing care at a hospital might be referred to the center for follow-up therapy and treatment, including short- and long-term mental health care. The medical staff evaluates and monitors patient needs, including strategic psychotropic medication recommendations. For a full list of services, call the office to speak to a team member.
Community is a genuine priority of Knox Winamac Community Health Center. When a person experiences a death in the family, trauma or grief, the center is a trusted source for help. Military veterans in need of therapy and treatment can turn to a program called Tri-Care, which lists Truesdell and the center as a provider. The center also works with patients under Medicare and Medicaid. The center’s health providers are also available for speaking to school and college groups, and Truesdell emphasizes the need to reach younger adults in their 20s and 30s, to introduce them to the accessibility of therapy and other health services at the center.
The center does accept new patients. Truesdell only cares for patients over the age of 12. To make an appointment for any type of service, call 574-772-6030. You can also reach them via email at kwchc@kwchc.net for questions.
Knox Winamac Community Health Center is located at 1002 South Edgewood Drive in Knox. Go to kwchc.net for more info.
