Primary Care of Southwest Georgia Inc., located at 509 Wheat Avenue, opened the doors for a new general health practice center in Bainbridge on Monday, Aug. 10.

Services are available for walk-ins and those with appointments. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 8 a.m. — 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

At the close of the first day, the center had already seen 18 patients, one of them found waiting when the doors opened at 8 a.m.

The federally funded Primary Care of Southwest Georgia, Inc., based in Blakely, worked in cooperation with Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge to secure a grant needed to open and operate the local health center. Affordable Care Act funding has been awarded to fund 164 health centers, including the one in Bainbridge. In addition to the Bainbridge and Blakely sites, there is also a center in Thomasville.

According to a press release from Dr. Ann Addison, CEO of PCSG, the facility, in addition to providing access to healthcare, brings new providers to the community.

PCSG-Bainbridge staff includes a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, a Registered Nurse, two Licensed Practical Nurses, a Business Office Specialist, an Office Manager and an Outreach and Enrollment Specialist.  Additional staff to be hired includes a Physician, a RN, a LPN, an Interpreter and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, creating 12 jobs in Decatur County over the next year.

Dr. Addison stated, “The Board of Directors and staff of PCSG are very pleased that we are able to provide high quality, affordable healthcare services in a beautiful setting made possible by the collaboration with Memorial Hospital and Manor.” She continued, “We worked closely with Billy Walker, CEO and staff of Memorial Hospital and Manor and Senator Dean Burke while applying for the new access point funding. The new facility will help provide local healthcare to those in need.”

Billy Walker voiced his views, saying, “We are excited about the opening of this health center in Bainbridge. We applaud the work of Dr. Ann Addison and Primary Care of Southwest Georgia to help increase access to primary care for the residents of Bainbridge and Decatur County. We will continue to collaborate with PCSG to improve the access to healthcare.”

The center is expected to be especially beneficial for patients that have had to use the Emergency Department due to lack of Primary Care resources. But it is not just for those patients. Anyone wishing to establish a primary care physician may use the facility

PCSG is a non-profit corporation that is governed by a board of directors made up of community members, 51 percent of whom are required to be active patients. PCSG works to ensure that its patients have access to all levels of the healthcare system and is especially committed to providing services for the medically underserved.
Patients are accepted with insurance, Medicare and Medicaid; but there is also a discount program for those who are income-eligible, whether they are uninsured or are meeting deductibles for insurance. A full-time Outreach and Enrollment Specialist will be employed to assist patients in enrolling in affordable health insurance or determine eligibility for other programs such as Medicaid.

While the center is now open and accepting patients, a formal ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for September 8 at 4 p.m.

To learn more about the mission and services offered visit www.pcswga.org.