After moving buildings during the height of the pandemic, Care Net Owensboro is now able to provide a greater variety of more efficient services to the community.
Care Net has offered a wide array of services for many years, as they became a medical clinic and started providing ultrasounds in 2009 and added STI testing and treatment in 2016. As more clients began to take advantage of their facility, officials quickly realized they needed more space.
“We had essentially outgrown our old building, so our new facility has increased both our visibility and our scheduling capacity,” Executive Director Vicki Boles said. “It’s enabling us to better serve every person who walks through our doors.”
Relocating in the midst of the pandemic presented a few challenges, but Care Net never had to stop providing their medical-based services, which were even more necessary than before.
“We did see a big increase in the pregnancy tests and ultrasound appointments in the height of the pandemic,” Bole said. “There was also a huge increase in material assistance needs, such as diapers, wipes, and formula.”
Their new space at 425 East 18th Street has provided everything they wanted it to and more, and has even allowed them to add a third STI testing option for clients — meaning they now offer testing for trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
“It’s just incredible to have this beautiful, welcoming, peaceful environment to offer our services to patients and clients,” Bole said. “We’re now able to really hone in on specific services and make sure every client is getting exactly what they need.”
Care Net not only offers medical assistance, but they also make educating the community about their services a priority through their student engagement program. They already serve the Daviess County schools, but they will soon be expanding into McLean and Ohio counties.
“We’re glad to be able to have that presence in the schools and to be a positive influence on our youth, because then they know we’re here for them if they need us in the future,” Boles said. “We have found that if they get that exposure in school, they’ll already have that foundation of trust with us and come to us if they require our services.”
To learn more about Care Net’s services, visit their website here.
