Sidney Health Center Completes Clinic And Cancer Care Remodels

In 2019, Sidney Health Center completed an 18-month remodel project at the clinic to accommodate more medical providers and improve utilization of the mid-70s design. The $5.7 million construction project included the consolidation of primary care services, enhancements to several surgical suites and a re-design of the cancer care center.

"We are fortunate to have a Board of Directors that believes in the value of investing in our facility," stated Jen Doty, CEO. "It allows us to continue attracting quality physicians and staff to better serve Richland County and the surrounding area."

Ultimately, the goal is to make Sidney Health Center a better place for patients to receive care, for physicians to practice medicine and for employees to share their talents. "People make the difference," reiterated Doty. "A stable base of physicians and staff, who provide high quality patient-centered care, is essential to our success in the future. It's our job to provide the support, tools and equipment for them to be successful."

Currently, the medical staff is comprised of twenty-six physicians, eight mid-level providers, an audiologist and three certified registered nurse anesthetists. This impressive group of physicians, specialists and providers offer family medicine, internal medicine, pediatric care, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, aesthetic medicine, emergency care and surgical services including general, orthopedic, podiatric, obstetrics/gynecology and ear/nose/throat.

"With the continued growth in patient volume and service lines, the timing for the clinic remodel was right," stated Lance Averett, Sidney Health Center Board of Directors President.

The need to continue recruiting physicians and advanced practice providers is evident as discovered through the strategic planning process in 2019. Access to care was brought up in focus group sessions, identified in the community health needs survey, and verified through market share statistics.

In the last 12 months, Sidney Health Center has addressed some of these concerns through continued recruitment efforts and extended office hours. The weekday walk-in clinic expanded its hours with the addition of a second provider and moved out of the Medical Arts Building to the Primary Care Clinic. In addition, Dr. James Hickey, family medicine, started his full-time practice in August and continues to accept new patients.

"The good news is that we have two additional family nurse practitioners joining our team in January to address women's health and cancer care patient needs," announced Becky Cassidy, Senior Executive of Physician Services.

Krista Frank, FNP will be joining Dr. Malua Tambi, Dr. Lisa Ross and Wendy Wiltzen, FNP in the OB/GYN clinic office. Krista has years of experience working in various hospital and public health settings as well as advanced training in obstetrics and gynecology and surgical procedures.

Secondly, Martha Nugent, FNP is a Board Certified Gerontology Nurse Practitioner with eight years of experience in acute care oncology as a Registered Nurse. She will be working closely with Dr. Chad Pedersen and seeing medical oncology patients in the clinic setting. Over the last few years, the cancer care center has seen significant growth. To accommodate the demand for treating area medical and radiation oncology patients, the cancer care suite continues to evolve and change.

Prior to the clinic remodel, there was little or no room for growth. The new design at the clinic has room to accommodate more medical providers and creates a more efficient utilization of the space to serve area patients. The future is promising for Sidney Health Center as they work to meet their mission, which is to help you achieve your highest level of health and well-being.