Mount Vernon Town Money Saver | January FOM 2023

Community Health Center offers affordable health care options

Article submitted by Jim Stoner >>

Living in the Knox County area has so many advantages. However, many community members will agree that trying to make ends meet in these difficult financial times just keeps getting harder - with mortgage payments, taxes, and costly insurance plans, “making ends meet” is increasingly difficult. For many, it frequently seems there is “too much month at the end of the money,” as my dad always said. The Community Health Center strives to be a “one-stop shop” that can deliver a variety of medical, dental, and counseling services for a fraction of the cost of many other providers.

Who We Are

be facing some hefty costs. Instead of incurring these costs or going without altogether, the Community Health Center offers award-winning quality healthcare at a fraction of the cost thanks to their sliding fee scale. For example, patients who qualify can pay as little as $20 total for dental services.

The Community Health Center has many nurses, doctors, and nurse practitioners on staff treating thousands of people in the Knox County area. Hardworking patients can get quality health care without fear of debilitating costs.

What We Do

Knox Area Transit (KAT) loop which runs from the main office at Knox Public Health to local shopping and other health service locations.

The Health Center locations are medical homes offering preventive and primary care to all ages.

What Makes Us

D I F F E R E N T

Many small businesses can only manage to offer very limited health care plans for employees due to costs… more and more people opt out of health care plans altogether, just due to the plan’s high costs. Not having healthcare coverage frequently proves to be a very costly choice, especially during difficult health crises like we just endured—and some would argue that we are still facing.

We accept all insurance plans, as well as Medicare, and Medicaid managed care plans. A sliding fee schedule is offered to all eligible patients without insurance or choose to self-pay.

What Makes Us

B E T T E R

Most people only think of our local health department when considering vaccination options, but our Community Health Center was recently recognized nationally for providing many very important screenings and tests—ones that community members who may go somewhere else for healthcare needs would

All Patients Accepted - Men, Women & Children of all ages including those who have no insurance, are under-insured or have insurance.

M E D I C A L S E R V I C E S

Lane Belangia, Community Health Center CEO stated that “We are a one-stop shop for health care. The lack of income or affordable insurance should never be a barrier to getting health care.”

The Community Health Center takes pride in its approach to work with the entire lifestyle of each client as they come in for services. If a client expresses a wish to stop smoking, the Cessation Specialists are on staff to help. If the client wishes to address healthy food chooses, they have dietary counselors that can assist clients with healthier choices. Beyond their own services, the Community Health Center helps connect patients with local resources to meet a variety of needs.

T r e a t m e n t o f i l l n e s s s u c h a s e a r a c h e s , c o l d s , s o r e t h r o a t s , s i n u s i n f e c t i o n s

M a n a g e m e n t o f c h r o n i c d i s e a s e s u c h a s d i a b e t e s

P h y s i c a l e x a m s f o r w o r k ( i n c l u d i n g D O T ) , s c h o o l , a n d s p o r t s

W

e l l - c h i l d e x a m s , P e d i a t r i c s e r v i c e s

Belangia also stated that the “Community Health Center strives to serve the entire community, no matter their age or financial situation.”

W o m e n ' s h e a l t h : p r e g n a n c y t e s t s a n d p a p t e s t s

B l o o d p r e s s u r e s c r e e n i n g s

Recent developments to serve the greater community:

In addition to serving so many people consistently in all areas of wellness, Belangia is also very proud of some national awards the Community Health Center has recently received, including:

• Advanced Health Information Technology for Quality

S u b s t a n c e u s e t r e a t m e n t , i n c l u d i n g m e d i c a t i o n a s s i s t e d t r e a t m e n t

• Access Enhancer Award

• Health Disparity Reducer Award

C O U N S E L I N G S E R V I C E S

• Health Quality Leader Award

B e h a v i o r a l H e a l t h c o u n s e l i n g ( P T S D , A n x i e t y , D e p r e s s i o n , S u b s t a n c e u s e , e t c . )

D i a g n o s t i c a s s e s s m e n t s

1. Expansions to reach more people across central Ohio (five total locations in Mount Vernon and Danville - now including Moore Family Practice and Foster’s Pharmacy Walk-in Clinic)

I n d i v i d u a l c o u n s e l i n g f o r c h i l d r e n , a d o l e s c e n t s a n d a d u l t s

D E N T A L S E R V I C E S

2. Free transportation is also available for all locations. This includes a

F i l l i n g s

S e a l a n t s

X - R a y s

C l e a n i n g s

All of these awards speak well to how the teams of health care professionals care about their patients and gather information to serve every aspect of a patient’s overall well-being.

E x t r a c t i o n s & O r a l S u r g e r y - i n c l u d i n g W i s d o m T e e t h !

h i l d D e n t i s t r y

" Y o u r h o m e t o w n d o c t o r ' s o f f i c e ! "

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Compare our CD Rates

Bank-issued, FDIC-insured % APY* % APY* % APY*

3-month 4.20

6-month 4.55 9-month 4.75

Alex Bullock

Financial Advisor

124 S Main St Mt Vernon, OH 43050 740-397-2339

* Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective 12/13/2022. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change. CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease. If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value. FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value. Early withdrawal may not be permitted. Yields quoted are net of all commissions. CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound. CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide. All CDs sold by Edward Jones are registered with the Depository Trust Corp. (DTC).

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 2/3 cups lentils (11 ounces), rinsed

Warm up with these

SOUP-er Reci p es

French Onion Soup

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter

• 6 cups sliced Vidalia or Spanish onions

w/ Italian Sausage & Escarole

• 5 cups water • 1 bay leaf • ½ tsp. thyme

• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 4 garlic cloves, nely chopped, divided

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

– remove casing

• ½ cup ham diced (optional)

• 1 medium onion, nely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, nely chopped

• 2 celery ribs, nely chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 cups packed escarole, chopped

• 1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

• ½ tsp. oregano • ½ tsp. red pepper

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until tender. Add the carrot, celery and garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the sausage and brown, braking it into bits as it cooks. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped ham (optional), chicken broth, vinegar and bring the soup to a boil. Pour in the lentils along with the remaining seasonings/ spices and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, and liquid reduces, about 40-45 min.

Creamy Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms

• 3/4 cup celery-chopped

• 3/4 cup carrots-chopped

• Small onion-chopped

• 1/4 cup our • Salt & Pepper

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 Tablespoon parsley

• 2-3 cups turkey or chicken

• 1 box Uncle Ben’s 10 minute wild rice

• 1 carton chicken broth

• Garlic salt & chicken bouillon (optional)

Prepare wild rice according to box instruction - set aside.

In Large soup pan: saute onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms in oil until soft. Add our, salt, pepper & garlic salt cook 2 minutes-stirring. Add broth & bouillon, bring to boil. Simmer 2- 3 minutes

Stir in rice, meat, parsley and sour cream till heated thru (about 2 minutes).

I use a butterball frozen turkey breast, roasted it in the oven. Cut up half for the soup and used the other half for a turkey meal.

Town Money Saver

• Salt and black pepper

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose our

• 1/4 cup dry sherry

• 5 cups beef stock

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 8 slices Gruyere cheese (or Swiss) plus 1 cup

• Grated Gruyere cheese

• 2 cups croutons

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions all at once and a small splash of water. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Bring the onions to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat if the onions begin to cook too fast. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. (If you want a sweeter soup, continue to cook the onions until they caramelize to the richness of your preference.)

Add the our and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the beef stock, bring to a very low simmer; simmer for about 35 min. Preheat the broiler to nish the soup. Add the thyme to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the herbs. Ladle the soup into 4 soup crocks. Cover each crock with 2 slices of cheese and some croutons, then top with the shredded Gruyere. Transfer the crocks to a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns.

Cauliflower Stilton Soup

• 1 med. onion, nely chopped

• 2 celery ribs, nely chopped

• 2 1/4 cups cauli ower, cut into 1” orets

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter or Olive Oil

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1/3 cup crumbled Stilton (or Gorganzola) cheese (2 oz)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Garnish: Crumbled Stilton & steamed cauli ower orets

Cook onion, celery, and cauli ower in butter in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion and celery are softened, 8-10 min. Add broth and 1 cup milk and simmer, covered, until cauli ower is very tender, about 25 min.

Purée cauli ower mixture in 2 batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to cleaned saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved, then add to soup and simmer, whisking, until soup is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Stilton, cream, pepper, and salt and cook over low heat, whisking, until Stilton is melted and soup is smooth, about 1 min.

***: You can skip the cornstarch step and use more cauli ower to thicken.