HealthLinc has received a $75,000 grant from the Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) as part of their 2023 Cycle 2 Healthy Children grant awards. The funds will be directed toward the new clinic in Michigan City and specifically used to purchase 12 dental chairs.
Poor oral health has been linked to systemic issues such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and even certain types of cancer. Maintaining good oral health in childhood can reduce the risk of these health problems later in life.
“It is important to establish good oral health habits, including regular dental checkups, early in childhood,” states Melissa Mitchell, HealthLinc CEO. “With generous support from the Health Foundation of La Porte, we will be able to increase access to quality dental health care for those we serve, including our youngest patients.”
HealthLinc emphasizes patient education with a focus on prevention of health issues instead of just treatment, which has put them in the top 10% of health outcomes among the 1,400 community health centers across the country.
HFL President and CEO Maria Fruth stated, “We are thrilled to support HealthLinc and the purchasing of 12 dental chairs for the new clinic in Michigan City. This project aligns with our strategic priority of Healthy Children, as research from the CDC associates poor oral health with poor pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight, which can increase infant mortality risk and risk of long-term health issues for babies. HFL looks forward to celebrating the opening of the clinic.”
The new clinic, located at 200 Alfred Street, is scheduled to be completed this March.
Services at the new location will include medical, dental, behavioral health, optometry, chiropractic, podiatry, obstetrics and a full-service pharmacy. Also included will be addiction services, a medical-legal partnership, health insurance enrollment assistance and a community outreach team.
For more information on the grant or the new HealthLinc Michigan City clinic, please contact Jodie Wexelberg at jwexelberg@healthlincchc.org.
About Health Foundation of La Porte
Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL), a private, independent foundation, is dedicated to empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well. Since 2017, HFL has invested more than $41 million in the community through grantmaking, infrastructure, and capacity building. To learn more about HFL, please visit hflaporte.org.
About HealthLinc
HealthLinc, Inc. (healthlincchc.org) is a not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary medical, dental, optometry, and behavioral health services to people of all ages regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. In 1996, HealthLinc began as Hilltop Neighborhood House, a neighborhood clinic and childcare center in Valparaiso, IN. Since then, HealthLinc has expanded to twelve clinics and one mobile medical/dental clinic. HealthLinc accepts Medicare, Medicaid, Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), and most commercial insurance plans, and provides care for uninsured patients. Services will be provided on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income, regardless of a patient’s insurance status.