Big plans in works at Katy Trail Community Health

Katy Trail Community Health plans to expand dental services, apply for funding to provide low-cost family planning products and continue to help surrounding counties with community development in 2009.

Linda Messenger, Katy Trail board president, announced during the clinic’s annual meeting Thursday that the health clinic is planning to extend health care needs in Morgan, Benton and Johnson counties.

“We are always growing and it’s exciting,” Messenger said.

The health clinic plans to apply for state funding to provide low-cost family planning products in Pettis County this year. Pettis County has the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in Missouri.

“There isn’t any place in the county that can distribute low-cost family planning products,” said Chris Stewart, executive director of Katy Trail. “We see that as a real need.”

The dental clinic will also be seeing new changes in 2009. The clinic opened in November with one dentist and Messenger said they have hired an additional dentist to start in June.

“Our focus right now is to concentrate on the kids,” Messenger said.

Katy Trail is focusing on preventative medical practices with children to help them have a healthier future.

During Katy Trail’s open house, visitors toured the newly expanded facility.

Wiley Walter, of Sedalia, said he was surprised with the expansions after taking a tour of the building.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Walter said.

Walter said the building is a great asset for the community.

“The thing I like is that they are doing preventative medicine,” Walter said.

Stewart said the dental clinic is booked up for the next two months with appointments, but the clinic leaves four emergency spots open daily for school children with dental emergencies.

Katy Trail is one of 21 Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in Missouri. Katy Trail provides services on a sliding fee scale in an underserved area and has a nonprofit status.

Katy Trail served 5,100 patients and had over 16,000 visits in 2008.