Heritage Health, which offers services to low-income or uninsured area residents, is expanding to Post Falls and the Silver Valley.

The clinic expansions are possible with today's announcement that Heritage, formerly Dirne Community Health Center, will receive $650,000 in grant seed money from the federal Bureau of Primary Health Care to start the operations.

"This will allow us to expand our facilities into areas (that already have Heritage clients who commute to Coeur d'Alene for services)," said Len Crosby, chairman of Heritage's board.

Heritage is looking to partner with physicians or providers on temporary sites for the clinics. The nonprofit would either find buildings to lease or build facilities of its own in the future.

The expansion announcement was made during Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin's State of the City address this afternoon at Red Lion Templin's Hotel.

"It's taken three years or more (to expand to Post Falls), but they never let down," Larkin said after the announcement drew applause from the crowd of about 200. "Now you see the end result."