MULBERRY, Fla. — As Polk County experiences massive population growth, leaders are looking to expand access to medical care.
Dr. Sam Moursi has made it his mission to work in communities that are underserved, and he has been able to do that at Central Florida Health Care.
“Taking care of your patients and going out of your way to help these patients who are underserved, or they don’t have insurance, or they don’t have access,” said Moursi.
The community health centers are located in locations with critical healthcare gaps. The federally funded organization serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Dr. Moursi said he is seeing a growing number of patients.
“Receive more than 3,500 calls every single day and we manage each one of them. We see more than 1,000 patients on a daily basis,” said Moursi.
With the rapid population growth in Polk County, more healthcare facilities are needed, especially in rural areas.
“We did a needs assessment for the mulberry location, and it demonstrated a need,” said Ann Claussen, CEO of Central Florida Health Care.
Polk County commissioners approved spending $4 million to add another Central Florida Health Care center in Mulberry. The center will offer adult primary care, rheumatology, and OB/GYN services.
Claussen said this expansion will ensure that health services are keeping pace with the area's growth.
“Our goal is to try to have more sites so that we can see more people and take care of the indigent health care population,” said Claussen.
The new health center will be located at 1010 North Church Avenue. Renovations are expected to be complete in 14 months.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
