The Center for Healing & Hope has closed its Monday evening clinic at Grace Lutheran Church in Elkhart. Patients are encouraged to visit the clinic in Goshen at the Plymouth United Church of Christ at 902 S. Main Street on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday mornings.

The average number of patients visiting the once-a-week clinic in west-central Elkhart was between two and three. Meanwhile, more than one-third of the patients visiting the Goshen clinic have been coming from Elkhart.

Concentrating services in one location will make it possible for CHH to better serve all patients, especially the nearly 70 percent who identify themselves as Latino. With the recent inclusion of the Elkhart County HOPE network, CHH is beginning to provide other forms of support to its immigrant neighbors. The Goshen location will be the center of this expanding activity.

CHH continues to be needed to serve patients who do not have health insurance or a primary care doctor. A 2016 Beacon Health community assessment indicates that about one third of our 40,000 Latino neighbors have no health insurance. With the current situation of uncertainty, CHH continues to be a trusted source for urgent medical care at a very lost cost. CHH staff diagnose health issues and treat what they are able to address. They also assist patients in finding reasonably priced specialty services and aim to connect patients with doctors who can provide ongoing care.

In Elkhart, CHH will continue providing free medical screenings at designated sites, such as Faith Mission. CHH also will continue building relationships with Elkhart health and community service organizations and with churches and businesses in order to collaborate in meeting needs in the community.

CHH expresses thanks to Grace Lutheran Church for providing a home for the Elkhart clinic for the past 11 years. CHH also thanks the many doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and volunteer greeters and office staff for their faithful service. The contributions of time, finances and prayer support for the Elkhart clinic has been immeasurably valuable.