Central Florida Health Care gets a shot in the arm with money to expand Polk clinics

Paul Nutcher, Lakeland Ledger
·3 min read

Central Florida Health Care is expanding its clinics by square footage and services offered as indigent health care demand rises in Polk County.

The Polk County Commission approved a $3 million contract with CFHC on March 5 for the health care provider to build a new community health center on the current three-acre site in Dundee. The Lakeland facility also gained $3 million in a separate contract approved the same day by the board.

Polk County approved $3 million toward expanding a facility for Central Florida Health Care in Dundee. The agency's Lakeland center also received money for expansion.
Polk County approved $3 million toward expanding a facility for Central Florida Health Care in Dundee. The agency's Lakeland center also received money for expansion.

CFHC's expansion in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties is a result of Polk County being in the top three fastest growing county populations in the United States, CFHC CEO Ann Claussen said by phone Monday.

"So with all those people moving in, so many of them don't have health care or have limited means for health care, so we are continuing to do the needs assessment to see where we can expand and grow and add more services," she said.

The Dundee and Lakeland building projects are expected to break ground this summer, Claussen said. A third project in Frostproof is set to open this summer.

The site off Dundee Road near U.S. 27 already has eight exam rooms in a 5,208-square-foot building. The new building will be constructed on the same property and bring the facility to 9,391 square feet. Eventually it will be a two-story medical facility with 13 medical exam rooms and five dental rooms.

The larger facility will allow for an expansion of adult primary care and dental services and the addition of pediatric primary care and dental services, and a drive-thru pharmacy. Additional telehealth services will be provided for endocrinology and behavioral health.

The funding request had already gained the approval of Polk’s Citizens Health Care Oversight Committee. The funds were set aside in the Polk County budget for indigent health care, which is funded by a half-cent sales tax.

The Winter Haven-based CFHC is a federally qualified health center offering medical and dental services that are culturally sensitive and affordable.

Of the five health systems operating in Polk County, all expanded in 2023 in both buildings and patients.

For the eventual new Dundee facility, medical patients are projected to grow to 5,980 for 20,930 visits, and dental patients will reach 2,046 for 7,160 appointments.

Last year in Lakeland, CFHC served 8,543 patients at 24,198 visits, and in Dundee served 3,469 patients during 9,471 visits.

Once the new health centers are completed in Lakeland, the anticipated medical patients are expected to climb to 19,409 with 67,932 visits per year. And for dental patients the numbers are 4,963 people making 17,442 visits.

Combined, that's 24,393 people making 85,374 visits for medical and dental appointments.

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In all, CFHC has 15 healthcare centers in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties.

At the end of its fiscal year on Jan. 31, CFHC had provided healthcare to more than 76,000 people, an increase of almost 6,000 from the prior fiscal year, according to communications specialist Sherrie Pratt.

In addition to support from the Polk County commissioners, CFHC also launched a $30 million “Thank You from the Heart” capital campaign in 2023 to raise funds for further expansion and to meet the need for affordable and accessible healthcare in the tri-county area, she said.

CFHC started in Frostproof in 1972 to serve the health care needs of agricultural workers for the citrus industry.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Central Florida Health Care gets money to expand Polk clinics