Kirby Medical Group to Open New Clinic on Rt. 36, Atwood; Donates Former Office to Village of Atwood
Pictured is the present Kirby Medical Center in Atwood donated to Village of Atwood when the move is made to the new clinic on Rt. 36.
By Doris Elmore
Staff Writer
I feel certain that anyone who has traveled East of Atwood on Rt. 36 in the past few months has followed the progress of the new Atwood Rural Health Clinic building. The new clinic, in conjunction with Sav-Mor Pharmacy, will be a welcome and beautiful addition to Atwood on Rt. 36.
While residents are excited about the new clinic, it will be sad to lose both businesses on Main Street. Steve Tenhouse, MHA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of Kirby Medical Center, made this comment: “We are donating the building to the village because we feel it’s a good way to give back to the community and support Main Street. Our hope is the village can repurpose the building for a community or meeting center. Funds that would have been spent to acquire the building can be used to renovate it for a better use.”
The Atwood Village Board learned of this gift to the village and Village President Bill Fleming announced it at the June 14 meeting. The village is very grateful for this gift and will put the building to good use. No decision has been made at this time on what the village will do with the building.
According to information received from Heidi Apperson, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Kirby Medical Center, the new Atwood Rural Health Clinic building will have some new and expanded services. There will be six exam rooms and a large procedure room for minor procedures. A new lab room will offer space to provide lab draws and will also service walk-in patients with valid orders. They will also be offering Holter monitor placement and returns.
One of the most exciting additions is on-site x-ray. Patients will be able to have basic x-rays done locally, preventing long travel to outside communities. Some other services patients can expect at the new Atwood clinic will be access to specialty services, mental health counseling, vaccinations, and family planning.
In a recent issue of our paper, Tara Shutt, FNP-BC was introduced as the new provider for Kirby Medical Group-Atwood, and started part time on July 16. She will be full time in mid-September. Her education is Master of Science with concentration in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner 2018, Olivet Nazarene University.
An open house is planned for the new Atwood Rural Health Clinic on Saturday, August 21, from 10-12 noon during the Apple Dumpling Festival. Watch for more information on the open house in the near future.
Again, thank you to Steve Tenhouse and Kirby Medical Group for their generosity in donating the current medical clinic to the village of Atwood. We are working together for a better community.
