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Healthcare oasis in a medical desert
Oct 01, 2025
Community Health and Wellness Center in North Canaan has served nearly 1,800 people since opening in May last year.
John Coston
The two story building that rose out of nowhere and opened in the spring of 2024 is serving up a wide range of healthcare services to meet a rural community’s needs and its patient base is growing along with its staff.
The Northwest Corner has been marked by a scarcity of medical and healthcare providers. When the new facility opened, there was single primary care physician in North Canaan.
For months as the building was under construction and even afterward before the signs went up, the new building prompted curiosity. What is going into that new two-story building?
Now, the signs are up and the parking lot is filling up at the home of the Community Health and Wellness Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a qualification given to certain healthcare organizations because of services provided, their community-oriented approach and accessibility to everyone regardless of ability to pay.
The new facility, one of 17 FQHCs in the state, is not a walk-in or urgent-care clinic. An appointment is required to be seen. However, if a patient is sick, they can call the center and see if same-day appointments are available to be seen for a sick visit.
Almost 1,800 patients have been served in the North Canaan office since it opened in May 2024, and that includes all services, including flu clinics.
There are 16 staff members in the North Canaan office and an additional four staff members travel from other sites to see patients one day per week.
The other sites are in Torrington and Winsted. In addition, the CHWC school-based services in seven Torrington schools and in three schools in the Region One school district: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, North Canaan Elementary School and Sharon Center School, both elementary schools.
There are hopes to expand the number of schools.
The range of services provided by eight medical providers on site in North Canaan include:
—General internal medicine, with infectious disease consultations, HIV primary care
—Youth autism evaluation (under age 6) and treatment/evaluation for individuals with developmental behavioral challenges (under age 21).
—Pediatric primary care from newborn through young adulthood. School based primary care at HVRHS and NCES.
—Primary care for adults and adolescents, and Dept. of Transportation physicals for CDLs.
—Psychiatric evaluation and medication management.
—Outpatient clinical services for adults.
—Diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal conditions.
And there is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the North Canaan facility.
Joanne Borduas, CEO of Community Health and Wellness, which is an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit serving more than 7,000 patients, told the Northwest Hills Council of Governments last May: “Access issues and unique challenges in rural areas lead to poorer patient outcomes compared to our urban counterparts.”
She said those challenges are especially acute given heightened risk factors in many rural communities, such as increased socio-economic disparities, economic downturn, elderly populations who wish to remain at home as they age, and funding and resource scarcity for healthcare facilities.
Borduas described Community Health and Wellness Center as an indispensable resource for Northwest Connecticut, a region that she described as experiencing a “rural healthcare crisis.”
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Dawn Marie Klingner, Amenia’s EMT Captain
Leila Hawken
“My father and my grandfather were firemen. There is something in the blood when it comes to giving back.”
— Dawn Marie Klingner, EMS Captain
Aligned with many aspects of Amenia, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have a solid history of personal commitment from volunteers who take pride in their service and training, which prepares them to provide aid and comfort in times of emergency.
EMS Captain Dawn Marie Klingner, who has served as Amenia’s town clerk for 13 years, exemplifies that sense of community commitment. Her service to the Amenia Fire Company began in 2006 at the urging of Chief Shawn Howard. She began as district secretary and treasurer, a position she continues to hold.
Training in fire police duties ensued, enabling her to direct traffic during emergencies. She then trained in scene support and later learned to assist with exterior firefighting. Nexts came an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training class. Both giving and receiving training are ongoing parts of her role.
The Klingners are an EMT family, well known locally for their service. Dawn’s husband, Chris, has served as an EMT for 30 years. Their son, Zach, began at 16 to volunteer with the Amenia Fire Company and has served for seven years as both a firefighter and EMT.Their daughter, Karlie, now has six years of service as an EMT.
“I’m here to help my community and all of the residents and visitors alike,” Klingner said of her various roles within the community, finding that they are all related, bound by commitment to service.
“My father and my grandfather were firemen. There is something in the blood when it comes to giving back,” Klingner added.
“Every call has a special meaning,” Klingner said of emergency calls, noting that each one presents its own set of circumstances. She emphasized that follow-up care is also important to show that EMS and the community care. “It can be an emotional roller coaster,” she said.
“You just want to be there to hold a hand,” she added.
“Balance is important,” Klingner said of life as an EMT. “We are learning how to balance family life, raising children and volunteering. It is not easily learned.”
“We are constantly trying to recruit new members,” Klingner said, encouraging anyone interested in knowing more to contact her in the Town Clerk’s office or come to the fire department on Mechanic Street any Monday at 6:30 p.m. to obtain an application.
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Sun River Health in Amenia is well positioned to offer the region a variety of health care services provided by dedicated doctors, nurses and clinical staff.
Leila Hawken
The greater Amenia area, extending throughout eastern Dutchess County and the northwest corner towns, is well-served by Sun River Health. The front office staff is welcoming and personable, poised to help and provide caring reassurance.
Sun River Health doctors, nurses, and clinical staff work with patients to provide high quality, complete care that each individual deserves, including telehealth. The website’s patient portal provides a chance to view lab results. Patients can also use the portal to ask a question or request a prescription refill.
Care services and specialties offered at Sun River Health include general primary care for adults and children, dentistry, behavioral and mental health, pediatrics, substance use treatment, nutrition, sexual health, and more.
A food assistance program makes fresh garden produce, meats, cheese, yogurt and more available to all visitors, regardless of need or patient status. On the occasion of a visit on Thursday, Sept. 18, a bountiful table in the entryway was laden with garden fresh cucumbers, celery, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, summer squash and tomatoes.
There is also a care team to address issues with Medicare or Medicaid, along with providing help with housing insecurities.
Sun River Health, located at 3360 Route 343 in Amenia, is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Appointments can be scheduled on-line at:
www.sunriver.org.
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Mobile healthcare in Millerton
Oct 01, 2025
Nathan Miller
The Dutchess County Mobile Health Unit provides healthcare and insurance help to families and individuals across Dutchess County. The bus features a fully stocked examination room complete with supplies for a wide range of screenings and examinations, including a blood spinner. Insurance company representatives and a group from Sun River Health in Amenia join the Mobile Health Unit crew to help visitors sign up for insurance and find more permanent care.
Nathan Miller
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