The Hillsdale Health and Wellness Center moved from its Bacon Street office to the former Center for Family Health – Hillsdale location at the Kroger Plaza this week. The center will maintain the same model of patient care it had before but with more space for patient care and in a more accessible location, said Jeremiah Hodshire, vice president of business and organizational development at Hillsdale Hospital.
“Patient volumes continued to swell,” Hodshire said, noting that the center “outgrew” its former facility. “We have beautifully renovated exam rooms, state of the art technology, all the same services and more that we held on Bacon. Now it’s bigger, better, more convenient location for our community.”
The center’s new building is about five times the size of the previous one, Hodshire said, with twelve patient exam rooms instead of four. At the center are four nurse practitioners and medical director Kurt Roecker (who also oversees Litchfield and Reading locations). Molly Parker, a primary care physician, is moving her practice to the center as well.
Hillsdale Hospital purchased the center in July 2018 and has seen steady traffic, Hodshire said. Patients even come to the clinic from other counties, he added.
The center’s walk-in clinic offers flexibility for patients, Hodshire said, noting that it’s one of the only such clinics open seven days a week in the county. Its hours extend into the early evening.
“It helps us keep people out of the emergency room,” he said. “That’s not the right place for patients who are not truly sick with an emergency-type illness.”
Hodshire said the center moved equipment on Friday and Monday, reopening Tuesday this week. Part of the transition involves integration of a new electronic medical records system called “EPIC.” The center’s staff will receive training on the system for the next two weeks.
Kurt Roecker, the center’s medical director, said he is excited for the opportunities the new location provides.
“It’s an excellent location, much improved from the previous clinic. Logistically it’s in an area to the town, college — it’s a win-win across the board,” he said. “I think we’ll continue to be a busy active clinic serving the needs of the community.”