by Mary Geegan Middleton | Dec 15, 2022 | Cassopolis Family Clinic, News, press release
Since 1964 the medical practice known as the Cassopolis Family Clinic has continuously served the residents of Cass and Southeast Berrien Counties. Throughout the years, the ownership of the practice has changed, as has the name. But one thing has remained constant—the dedicated Board of Directors, administrative team, providers, and staff remain committed to growing and changing to meet the needs of the community.
Since the mid-1960s, physicians from the Cassopolis Family Clinic (CFC) have also been providing medical care for residents of the Cass County Medical Care Facility (CCMCF), an 80-bed governmental facility located at 23770 Hospital Street. Dr. Aaron Warren, who moved to the area in 1964, followed his patients who were admitted to the CCMCF nursing home for inpatient rehabilitation and long-term care. In the 1970s regulations for nursing homes changed requiring more physician oversight and Dr. Warren became the medical director as well as attending physician. Dr. Neil See joined CFC in 1975, seeing patients in both Cassopolis and Niles. He had a special fondness for seniors, and he began to see nursing home patients at CCMCF in Dr. Warren’s absence, and at three nursing homes in Niles as well. When Dr. Warren retired from medicine in 1996 Dr. See became the medical director and attending physician at CCMCF, with backup from Dr. Elizabeth Wetzel and Anna Matulewicz, AGNP. Dr. See continued to care for patients at the nursing home until he fully retired at the end of 2019. Dr. Andre Smyth, Board Certified Family Physician, and Geriatrician on the CFC medical staff has been the medical director and attending physician from January 2020 to the present, with the backup assistance of Dr. Wetzel and Neil Bowman, FNP. Dr. Smyth will be leaving CFC at the end of December, thus bringing an end to this long association between the Cass County Medical Care Facility and the Cassopolis Family Clinic.
“We felt this was a story to be told and a time for recognition of the long-standing relationship between our organizations for over 55 years,” said Mary Middleton, CEO of CFC. “Dr. Warren, Dr. See, and Dr. Smyth have taken care of thousands of nursing home residents over the years. It’s been a wonderful collaboration between these two community agencies both take care of our loved ones, friends, and neighbors. I’m sorry we are not able to continue to provide a physician to CCMCF at this time”
“The CCMCF hopes to remain connected with the Cassopolis Family Clinic through the vision of both agencies in caring for those in our community,” said Christian Lutes, Executive Director of CCMCF.
Mary Geegan Middleton, CEO
by Mary Geegan Middleton | Sep 1, 2022 | Niles Community Health Center
Niles Community Health Center is expanding to serve more people. Who knew when we planned this new facility and opened in late 2019 that 3 years later we’d be adding on space. The new primary care wing is 6300 square feet, adding medical exam and treatment rooms and space for additional medical providers. Construction began in early August and the planned completion date is March 2023.
NCHC is accepting new patients. For more information, or to make an appointment, call (269) 262-4749.
CFCN is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, designated a Federally Qualified Health Center. With locations in Cassopolis and Niles, CFCN provides primary care, behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology, dental, pharmacy, and healthcare enrollment assistance services for the communities of Cass and southeast Berrien Counties. CFCN provides care for people who are uninsured, underinsured, covered by Medicare and Michigan Medicaid, and most commercial insurances. For more information, go to www.cassfamilyclinic.org or call (269) 445-3874.
Mary Geegan Middleton, CEO
by Mary Geegan Middleton | Aug 16, 2022 | Dental Health, Niles Community Health Center
Cassopolis Family Clinic Network (CFCN) and the University of Michigan (U of M) School of Dentistry have reached an agreement for U of M dental interns to train at CFCN’s Niles Community Health Center Dental office, located at 122 Grant Street, Niles. Beginning after Labor Day, interns in their 4th year of dental school will be seeing patients and providing family dentistry under the supervision of Dr. Madison Mick, CFCN’s Dental Director. Interns will rotate, spending 2 weeks locally, returning to U of M for 4 weeks, and then coming back for another 2 weeks. Each school semester a new group of 12 interns will come to Niles.
“We are excited to start this new training program,” said Mary Middleton, CFCN’s CEO. “We were planning to start a few years ago, and then the Covid Pandemic changed everything, basically shutting down all but emergent dental services.” Dental services are once again being delivered with additional safety measures in place.
NCHC Dental opened in October of 2016 after an extensive remodeling of an old medical building. CFCN invested nearly $1.5 million in the renovation, furnishings, and equipment in order to add oral health as another service for health center patients.
“We have found there is a tremendous need in our community for family dentistry,” said Dr. Madison Mick. “We’re losing two of our employed dentists, so the timing of working with U of M interns couldn’t have come at a better time.”
CFCN, a 501©3 Federally Qualified Health Center, is able to offer student loan repayment through the National Health Service Corps, or the Michigan Student Loan Repayment Program. “We’re hoping that some of the students will fall in love with Southwest Michigan and want to join us in practice when they graduate from U of M,” said Mary Middleton. “They can become part of the important work we do in our community while earning competitive salary and benefits, gain experience over time, and get financial assistance with student loans.”
Mary Geegan Middleton, CEO
