CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Accessibility, convenience, and a transition to wellness are the major themes Butler Health System kept in mind when building their new health and wellness center at Trinity Point.
(Photos by Prince Brooks of 32 1/2 Productions)
“Probably a few months after joining Butler Health System, the vision began to gel on what we wanted to do,” said Clarion Hospital President Steven Davis. “We needed more space to really carry out the vision for the organization and some of the strategic imperatives that we had identified.”
Davis said the building, which BHS purchased from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in August of 2020, was remodeled to enable state-of-the-art infrastructure, especially for telehealth, with a different look in mind than that of a traditional hospital.
The building, remodeled over a course of six months, opened most of its services in October of 2021.
“We wanted this building to look and feel different,” said Davis. “We wanted this building to be really able to support some of the innovative strategic imperatives for the organization, one of them which is lifestyle medicine.”
(Pictured above, from left: Dr. Richard Begg and Clarion Hospital President Steven Davis.)
Davis explained the building is part of a transitionary project from “illness care to wellness care.”
What this means is a new way of practicing medicine.
As Dr. Richard Begg, director of cardiovascular services for Butler Health System, explained, the patient now has agency in their own health. The days of the doctor “fixing” a patient’s issues with just one shot or one medication are gone.
“What we’re talking about is conceptually a totally different idea,” explained Begg. “Guess what guys, you’re a participant in your own care, in your own health. It does matter the type of lifestyle you lead, the type of food you eat, the exercise that you do, the attention you pay to lifestyle medicine.”
According to Davis, the health and wellness center could become a regional destination, as well, due to the wide breadth of services it offers on its three floors.
The first floor houses a fitness center, lab, and imaging services, with one section devoted solely to women’s imaging, and a health café opened to the public. The center’s second floor houses the family medicine residency program, while the third floor is divided between cardiovascular services and women’s health.
“I don’t know of another building like this conceptually in the region, and I’ve been around too long, since the 1980s,” added Begg.
Key to the health and wellness center’s design is accessibility. The building is open to the public, and BHS encourages people to visit the health café, which is open for breakfast and lunch. Because so many specialized services are in the same building, Begg stated that same-day appointments are a possibility. There is no longer a need to wait, or to drive, for lab results or specialist visits.
The focus on telehealth allows doctors and specialists not on-site to see patients from Clarion without the patient having to drive there. Check-ins for appointments can be done through a QR code received through text. BHS also offers its online patient portal through the MHealth app.
“We are going to try to make that streamlined. So, you see your doctor upstairs and maybe not the same day, but certainly, you come back to the facility to get that echo or that stress test very quickly, and by the way, I’m going to stop upstairs because I need my script renewed. It’s all in one place. It’s not this back and forward, and that is unique. There are not a lot of facilities that do that,” said Begg.
(Pictured above, from left: Dr. Joseph L. Leonard, Michelle Weaver, and Dr. Mohammad Obaidullah.)
The medical facilities that have the capabilities to provide this level of accessibility are usually major hospitals, which Begg said can intimidate some patients. The health and wellness center’s design reflects the fact it is supposed to be welcoming towards the community.
“They’re looking at this like, ‘Oh, I got to go to the hospital.’ Their heart rate goes up. Their blood pressure goes up. They can’t park, or if they can park, it costs them $15.00 to park. These are the impediments we’re trying to get rid of. We’re making it easy,” said Begg.
Also central to the health and wellness center’s purpose is community involvement.
Public classes will be held there on various topics such as lifestyle medicine, healthy eating, and women’s care. Classes can be held virtually, as well.
The reception from Clarion Hospital’s doctors to the health and wellness center has been very positive.
“The function we get out of this space is better than what we had in the other space,” said Dr. Anie Perard, chief medical officer at Clarion Hospital and head of Women’s Care Associates at Butler Health System. “We’re able to add an exam room. We have a much bigger procedure room. Patients can go right downstairs and get their mammograms. I can see a patient for an annual and order a mammogram, and she can go right downstairs and get it done, or order blood work, and she can get it done without having to leave.”
(Pictured above: Dr. Anie G. Perard.)
Perard said it was important for the public to know all obstetric services are available at the health and wellness center. The only exception is the actual delivery, which is done in Butler.
“I really like the hospital, the residency program, the community, everything like that,” said Dr. Mohammed Obaidullah, a resident physician for Clarion Hospital’s family medicine residency program. “It’s nice building relationships with patients; knowing that (in) small towns, you get to know a lot of people pretty well. I’m considering staying here.”
Both Davis and Begg stated the health and wellness center represents a new chapter for both Clarion Hospital and the way healthcare works.
“More than anything, this building represents three main components,” Davis said.
“Number One, it’s a commitment to the future. It is a commitment to the community, and it’s really a commitment to innovation. We are committed to trying to figure out how healthcare is going to be delivered in this post-pandemic future that we’re all going to be entering.”
“If we’re right, and people buy into this concept, it may just start a slew of similar type of ventures around the region,” Begg added.
