Clearwater Free Clinic to open wellness center
CLEARWATER — Clearwater Free Clinic will open a new facility next month that expands the range of care available to its uninsured patients.
The Ruth and J.O. Stone Wellness Center, at 1212 Court St. next door to the clinic, will focus on behavioral health, rehabilitation, nutrition and preventive care. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8.
The Ruth and J.O. Stone Foundation provided seed money for the project.
Demand at the clinic has climbed sharply. In the budget year that ended [month/date], the clinic treated 1,113 patients, up 18% from the year before, and enrolled 428 new patients, a 91% increase. It provided 2,278 chronic care visits, up 24%, and 1,879 behavioral health visits, up 18%. Of behavioral health patients who completed the clinic’s outcome assessment, 95% said they benefited from the services.
The wellness center is the centerpiece of the clinic’s Keep Them Well Comprehensive Campaign, a $7 million effort covering the purchase, renovation and outfitting of the building along with expanded programs and patient services. The campaign has raised more than $6.8 million.
Mosaic sculpture ‘Ketch’ to be unveiled at Marina Walk
CLEARWATER — A new public art mosaic sculpture by Nevada artist Eileen Gay will be unveiled at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, along the new Clearwater Beach Marina Walk at 25 Causeway Blvd.
The piece, titled “Ketch,” is part of the Clearwater Beach Marina replacement project.
“My vision for ‘Ketch’ was to create a sculptural mosaic to celebrate the Clearwater Beach Marina location while also including imagery of Clearwater’s iconic dolphin inhabitants as you might see them either from the deck of a boat or as a diver with them underwater,” Gay said.
The city said the sculpture draws on Clearwater’s maritime heritage and coastal character and is meant to serve as a landmark along the Marina Walk, an extension of BeachWalk with shaded seating, landscaping and pedestrian amenities connecting visitors to the marina, its businesses and beach attractions.
The roughly $46 million marina project rebuilt the facility while maintaining about 165 boat slips. It includes new fixed and floating docks, more than 1,300 linear feet of new and elevated seawall, upgraded utilities, accessibility improvements and new public spaces.
The first phase is complete, and crews are finishing the remaining seawall, docks, utilities and landscaping. The city expects substantial completion and turnover by the end of September, after remaining testing, inspections and closeout work.