Cross Trails expands in Advance

By Erin Easton Ragan

ADVANCE, Mo. -- At the request of patients for dental services and a need for more space to meet current demands for medical services, Cross Trails Medical Center is preparing to open a new 7,500-square-foot clinic in Advance.

The company hopes to open the new facility in mid-October, where chief operating officer Chrissy Warren said Cross Trails will continue with medical services already offered at the current clinic, expand into dental services, and again offer X-ray services, which haven't been available for awhile. A full-service dental staff will operate in the area for the first time.

"It's something patients have asked for, for awhile, and we've worked hard to do that. It's part of the reason we've worked to expand the clinic," Warren said. The new clinic, located on Gabriel Avenue, cost $1.8 million, and was funded by federal and state grants and by Cross Trails, a not-for-profit organization. The organization charges for services using a sliding fee scale based on a patient's ability to pay. Cross Trails also partnered with the City of Advance and the Bank of Advance by accepting land donation for the site of the new clinic. Cross Trails Oak Street clinic will close once the new facility is open.

The expanded space, said Warren, will also allow the clinic to offer monthly group education classes once a month on diabetes. A diabetic health instructor will help patients learn to manage their diabetes, Warren said.

The clinic will feature separate lobby areas for medical and dental services and six rooms for each service. There will also be a room designated for minor surgeries and other needs. Areas covered by the medical side of Cross Trails include primary care, chronic disease management, behavioral health and case management. A ribbon cutting for the new clinic will be held in late October, Warren said.