Camino Health opens new clinic in Kannapolis offering variety of services
The nonprofit will provide mental health services, lab testing and annual checkups.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (WBTV) - A local nonprofit is expanding into a nearby county, reaching a new community for the first time.
Camino Health is an organization dedicated to helping underserved communities, and is known for its work in Charlotte.
The nonprofit is now branching out to Kannapolis to open a health center that will help provide services to the Hispanic community in that area.
Camino said it has a safe space that primarily serves immigrants, and they recognize the need for better healthcare in that community. To do that, they have opened up a 14,000-square foot facility that will provide affordable services.
Opening the facility, though, was no easy task. Camino partnered with the City of Kannapolis as well as Cabarrus County. They also received aid from the American Rescue Plan Act.
At the new facility, Camino will provide mental health services, lab testing and annual checkups. Organizers said they want the clinic to be a one-stop-shop.
The building was purchased in December 2022 and opened three weeks ago. Camino is still working on renovations, with plans to transform the entire facility.
Also unique at the Camino Health Center is the fact that the staff is Spanish-first. They want to create a welcoming atmosphere for Latino immigrants, some of whom are afraid to receive treatment.
“We’re seeing an increase in Latinos coming,” Sharisse Johnson, executive director of Camino, said. “How do we service them? What are we doing to keep them out of the ER and to keep them out of places that they really shouldn’t need? They can come here for those type of services and we can keep that resource open for those who actually need it.”
The Camino Health Center is open five days a week, and once renovations are completed, 65 people will be working in the clinic with the goal of helping as many people as possible.
Related: Unexpected fire sets back Camino food pantry operations
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