For Women Infants and Children (WIC) participants in the Baldwin City area, a monthly clinic in Baldwin City is now available. LMH Health and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health (LDCPH) are partnering to provide a monthly clinic allowing clients to get benefits closer to home.

LDCPH welcomed clients to the first clinic on February 11. Beginning in March, clients will be seen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the LMH Primary Care clinic, located at 406 Ames Street in Baldwin City.

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. This USDA program provides healthy foods to supplement diets, personalized nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals to other services.

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five are eligible for WIC. They must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement and be individually determined to be at nutritional risk by a health professional.

“Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health wanted to provide WIC services in rural areas. LMH Health approached us to ask if we’d like to have a presence in Baldwin and we jumped at the chance,” said Christine Ebert, LDCPH Director of Clinic Services.

Ebert said that you don’t have to live in Douglas County to schedule a WIC appointment at a Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health clinic. If you qualify for WIC and are a Kansas resident, you can visit any location in the state.

“If you live in Carbondale, Gardner or Ottawa, you can schedule an appointment at our Baldwin clinic. Having this location opens up an access point and reduces the transportation barrier for clients who may not be able to drive to Lawrence,” she explained.

Allison Koonce, LMH Health Community Outreach and Engagement Supervisor, said an added benefit is that LMH is able to help WIC clients who need to get caught up on immunizations on the spot.

“Our rural clinics participate in the Vaccines for Children program. If the WIC team identifies that a child needs to get a vaccination, the LMH Health team can come in and administer the shot,” she said. “LMH is excited to partner with Public Health to offer these services in Baldwin City. If you can get the same services in your community and don’t have to drive to Lawrence, it just makes sense.”

Learn more about the WIC program at www.ldchealth.org/WIC or call Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health at 785-856-5350.