The new clinic in St. John brings the number of Heart of Kansas Family Health Care locations to four. The others are in Great Bend, Larned and Stafford.

“The St. John site is currently operating on a limited basis but it should be in full swing by sometime this summer,” said Brett Middleton, Heart of Kansas chief executive officer. “We determined that a significant number of local and area residents need this clinic and our staff wanted to accommodate them.

“While the new clinic is open only one day a week for now, we will increase access and add providers in the months ahead,” Middleton noted. “Heart of Kansas understands the importance of having primary-care services close to home.”

The idea for opening a clinic in St. John started with Arika Fanshier, nurse practitioner, who is seeing patients there now.

“When the building at 609 E. 1st became available, we began talking about the possibility of a St. John location,” Middleton recalled. “Arika was instrumental in these discussions and helped us make this happen.”

Other providers that will join the team are Richard Aballay, MD, who cares for patients in the Larned clinic; he will travel to St. John one day a week. Jackie Reed, nurse practitioner, also will be in the clinic two days a week.

In addition, Madison Hanzlick, nurse practitioner, will be in St. John Thursdays and Fridays, and Great Bend Mondays and Tuesdays.

“We look forward to being fully staffed with this great group of professional and compassionate providers,” Middleton said. “They offer family-medicine services, and monitor chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Behavioral-health providers also will be available.”

Middleton noted that he appreciates the support of the St. John City Council and Stafford County Commission. “They helped us smooth the way for the opening of the clinic.”

The St. John District Hospital Endowment Foundation also “was extremely supportive in helping us get the doors open,” Middleton added. “They even offered us some gently used equipment that was readily available and bought us an electric exam table.

“This type of community support is necessary in this type of endeavor. Everyone involved has our heartfelt gratitude.”

The services at Heart of Kansas are offered on a sliding-fee scale. Middleton encourages patients to work with the Heart of Kansas staff to determine if they qualify for the discounted rates.

“This sliding scale oftentimes is available to older patients on a limited income,” Middleton noted. “They have worked and paid their taxes, and have every right to check into the possibility of being eligible for lower costs.”

The clinic serves patients of all ages who are insured, uninsured and under-insured; the phone number in St. John is 620-377-5031.

Heart of Kansas Family Health Care is a Federally Qualified Health Center, which allows it to be a safety net for patients who are uninsured or underinsured. Its professional providers also welcome those with insurance at the Great Bend, Larned and Stafford locations. Heart of Kansas is open to everyone.