Cross Trails Medical Center awarded federal grant to build center in Advance, Mo.

Cross Trails Medical Center was one of 20 Missouri health-care centers to be awarded a federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Capital Improvement Program, according to a news release from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill Tuesday.

The Capital Improvement Program will provide $17,143,180 to health-care centers throughout the state. Cross Trails will receive $623, 240 to fund the construction of a new health-care facility at 307 Gabriel St. in Advance, Mo. The center is set to open in early 2010.

This grant comes after Cross Trails received $160,000 in grant money from the Missouri Foundation for Health in May to help fund its transition from paper medical records to electronic.

Cross Trails is a private, not-for-profit consumer-directed healthcare organization. Its mission is to provide affordable and accessible primary medical care and general dentistry services to Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Stoddard Counties and surrounding areas. Cross Trails has clinics in Marble Hill, Mo., Advance and Cape Girardeau.

Chief excecutive officer Denny Garner said the facilities in Advance limit the services provided there. It does not have the capacity to provide general dentistry services. Cross Trails has contracted one dentist and four dental hygienists to staff the new facility.

"We're really excited about this opportunity to be able to build this new project. It's going to allow us to provide both medical and general dentistry to an area that is currently underserved," Garner said.

Garner said Cross Trails is unique in that it accepts commercial health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and self-pay. Cross Trails offers a sliding fee service for patients who qualify financially and are uninsured or underinsured.