(Posted Sept. 3, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
By early next year, Mount Sterling residents will have a new health care option in town.
On Aug. 25, Madison Health broke ground on a satellite facility that will be attached to the Mount Sterling Community Center at 164 E. Main St. The 3,300 square-foot clinic will house one primary care physician, a lab draw station for blood work, and a rehabilitation area for physical, occupational and speech therapy.
“The purpose is to provide more convenient access to healthcare to the community,” said Julie Akers, marketing coordinator for Madison Health located in London.
A satellite location had been on the hospital’s drawing board for a while, but it took a casual conversation between a patient and a doctor to get the ball rolling.
The patient was Charlie Neff, mayor of Mount Sterling. The physician was Dr. Steven Richardson, a member of the hospital board.
“I had an appointment with Dr. Richardson back in February, and we were just talking about Mount Sterling,” Neff said. “He asked if there was anything we needed (in town), and I said, ‘Yeah, a doctor.’ ”
Richardson connected Neff with Dana Engle, CEO of the hospital, and within days of the conversation, the exploration process was started. Neff and Joe Johnson, Mount Sterling village administrator, suggested the community center as an ideal location. Leaders from the hospital, village and community center met over the subsequent weeks and a plan was solidified to move forward.
“It was a true team effort,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be great for Mount Sterling.”
Lisa Schwartz, chairman of the community center board, said the clinic is a good fit with the center and will be a valuable resource to the community.
“We don’t have a school in town any more. We don’t have a grocery store anymore. We need to start moving in a way that’s developing the community, not lessening the community, so this is a giant step in that direction,” Schwartz said.
The hospital is in the process of recruiting a physician for the facility. The physician will be able to see both youth and adult patients.
Construction is scheduled to start in September with completion slated for February or March, depending on the winter weather. Jay-Car Construction is the general contractor. The Mount Sterling company built the community center in 2006. Ankrom Architects of Circleville is providing design services; they also were involved with the original community center building project.
Madison Health Mount Sterling is one of three satellite facilities the hospital plans to open in the next several months. A clinic housing a primary care physician, lab, and rehabilitation area will occupy the former clubhouse on the Madison House campus off of Keny Boulevard in London. A diagnostic center for lab draws and X-rays is destined for West Jefferson. Both facilities are slated to open later this year. The hospital already has a primary care satellite in West Jefferson, formerly operated by Mount Carmel.
“We’re also looking at satellite locations in eastern Clark County to serve South Vienna and South Charleston,” Akers said.
