Local organizations meet to discuss health care in north Salina

March 20, 2021

Members of the North Salina Community Development group met Thursday night with other local health care providers to discuss how to better provide health care to the northern Salina community.

Salina Family Healthcare Center, Central Kansas Mental Health Center, Salvation Army and NAACP representatives gathered along with NSCD members at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church to think of ways to better serve the north side of the city.

The community has long complained about the lack of clinics, doctors and grocery stores in that area, which makes eating well consistently and staying healthy a difficult task.

Sandy Beverly, NSCD co-chair, said that once the Comcare on Elm Street closed, there were no remaining medical facilities on the north side of town.

Barb Young, the president of NCSD, organized the meeting and invited all the attending organizations.

Young said getting help from Salina Family Healthcare would be a success as a result from the meeting.

“They have a mobile unit now, so that was like, ‘Let’s see how many groups we can pull together and maybe do something,’ ” she said.

Salvation Army member Elis G. Pomales Morales talked about how the organization runs an initiative called the “Pathway of Hope,” which helps families with budgeting skills and other financial lessons.

Through December 2020, it served 33,000 meals, and it was easier for poorer families to eat at the Salvation Army rather than trying to shop at grocery stores without getting much nutritional value out of it.

Meeting attendees talked about holding a health fair at the Salvation Army facility in May, as it is a large space and could house several booths and stations for people to attend and learn.

CKMHC representatives added that Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May, which could serve as an added benefit to those who attend the fair to talk with the CKMHC.

Community members mentioned the lack of dialogue regarding mental health issues in their area. With the stresses caused by the pandemic and other events in the past year, a chance to talk about mental health could prove to be positive.

Additionally, talks also began for a vaccination clinic event to be held at the end of March during a meal provided by the Salvation Army.

Salina Family Healthcare would vaccinate a limited number of people with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on a first-come, first-served basis.

Beverly, who is also the secretary for the local NAACP chapter, talked about why her work in northern Salina and holding meetings such as Thursday’s are important.

“I want people to remember that there are people in this part of the community, that they may be lower income, but they are human, they have families, they have a right to a decent life, they work, and they try to raise their kids and their families just like anybody else,” she said. “That’s why I do this.”

Read more from the Salina Journal here: https://www.salina.com/story/news/2021/03/20/health-care-discussed-local-organizations-north-salina/4767074001/

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