Health centers see patients regardless of ability to pay; late night hours will provide new options for getting care for patients who lack sick leave or struggle with transportation, child care and other issues during typical business hours.
Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES) is thrilled to announce that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has awarded an annual $500,000 investment to the organization. This funding will enable Northern Nevada HOPES to expand its hours of operation, improving access to healthcare services for the 17,000 people it serves annually. With this support, HOPES will add additional hours of operation to support the critical clinical and administrative staff necessary to add evening hours beginning Monday, March 17.
Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES) sees patients regardless of their ability to pay and this expansion of operating hours will be particularly critical for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or have Medicaid coverage and struggle to find affordable care outside of traditional business hours and cannot afford expensive visits to urgent care, retail clinics or emergency departments. This funding will also help HOPES’ patients with common challenges in accessing health care – for example, taking a child to the doctor after work or – and help connect patients to preventive services and resources for health-related social needs to improve health outcomes. Many patients currently forgo care altogether in these circumstances, putting their health at greater risk and leading to more expensive visits to emergency departments when conditions get more serious.
Northern Nevada HOPES will use this funding to expand clinic hours for all of their services at their East 4th St. location, from primary care, mental health care, pharmacy, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), and more services for patients to access. The new hours starting Monday, March 17 are 8 am – 7 pm, Monday through Thursday, and Friday, 8 am – 5 pm.
“No one should have to delay or skip a trip to the doctor because of work or school. The thousands of Nevadans who can’t miss their daytime work shift, whose kids are in school, who have limited childcare, or who face transportation challenges deserve the same access to quality healthcare,” said Sharon Chamberlain, CEO of Northern Nevada HOPES. “These investments will help to extend operating hours, especially for patients in rural or underserved communities. We are proud to be part of an initiative that leaves no one behind.”
“This action is another example of HOPES addressing the challenges families face in getting healthcare services,” said Dr. Faith Whittier, Chief Medical Officer at HOPES. “Having the option to see a doctor before or after work not only helps families get the care they need, but it also helps relieve some of the stress and burden on families trying to arrange care. This investment is expanding access to care in a way that recognizes the day-to-day realities of working families in our community.”
HRSA-supported health centers provide access to primary care services—regardless of an individual’s ability to pay—for over 31 million patients at more than 15,000 service sites in high need communities. More than 90 percent of health center patients have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. This award was granted under the Biden-Harris Administration, through the support of HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, in January 2025.
For a list of all of awardees, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/funding/funding-opportunities/expanded-hours/fy-25-awards
To learn more about Norther Nevada HOPES, visit: www.nnhopes.org/
