Addressing a critical gap in rural healthcare, the Knox County Health Center is expanding its services and offering much-needed mental health support and affordable care to the Galesburg community and beyond through initiatives like a sliding fee scale.
Ben Clark, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, and Staci Simpson, Director of Operations, join WGIL's Chris Postin on Galesburg In Focus to shed light on the challenges of accessing mental health services in rural areas and how the Health Center is working to overcome these barriers.
Clark discusses the management of a wide spectrum of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, noting that closer and more specialized medication management is now available in the community.
They also talk about the Knox County Health Center's commitment to affordability through its sliding fee scale, which launched on March 1 and considers income and household size to reduce the cost of medical, dental, and behavioral health visits, potentially bringing behavioral health counseling down to as little as $1 to $20 per visit.
The Knox County Health Center operates as a "one-stop shop" clinic, distinct from the Health Department, offering medical, dental, and behavioral health services under one roof.
The Knox County Health Center encourages anyone in need of medical, dental, or behavioral health services to call (309) 344-2225 or visit their website at knoxcountyhealth.org to learn more and schedule an appointment.
