Primary health care services to be offered at CMH in Ludington.

Primary health care services to be offered at CMH in Ludington.

LUDINGTON — West Michigan Community Mental Health (WMCMH) and Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. have reached an agreement to open a primary care clinic at the CMH offices at 920 Diana St.

As a federally qualified health center, Northwest Michigan Health Services provides a full array of physical health care services to patients regardless of their insurance.

“We provide general primary care and preventative health care to people of all ages,” said Heidi Britton, CEO of Northwest Michigan Health Services. “We accept all insurances, Medicaid, Medicare and serve those who are uninsured or underinsured using a sliding fee scale based on their income.”

The clinic will start seeing patients on February 3. Britton said new patient appointments are generally scheduled within three days and walk-ins are also accepted.

“The Ludington clinic will increase access to primary health care services to a population that is generally underserved,” Britton said. “Many patients are left without primary care or are forced to travel outside of the local area to receive primary care. This clinic will allow people to get the care they need closer to home.” 

The partnership between the two agencies will also help provide integrated behavioral and physical health care to current WMCMH consumers.

“When looking at overall health and wellness of people in our communities, we need to take a whole person approach that focuses on mental and physical health,” said Lisa Williams, executive director of WMCMH. “People with mental health concerns and substance use disorders often face barriers to primary care, which can lead to preventable chronic illness such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. We’re excited to partner with Northwest Michigan Health Services to provide high quality, coordinated health care to our consumers at West Michigan Community Mental Health.”

Hours of operation for Northwest Michigan Health Services will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (231) 316-1100.