The obstetrics-gynecology department will be staffed by Springfield physicians Shawn Osterholt and Richard McNeeley. The two physicians, who run a private practice on Vester Avenue and a satellite clinic on Burnett Road, will keep the Vester office open and move their Burnett operations to the Rocking Horse, 651 S. Limestone St.
The goal is to reach out to pregnant women who do not currently have a physician — particularly low-income uninsured or underinsured. Women who have a physician are encouraged to stay with their doctors to allow Rocking Horse to serve those who have no medical home.
“We don’t want to take patients away from our local physicians,” said Rocking Horse CEO Dana Engle.
With the ob-gyn services up and running, the center will now focus on hiring a dentist for its dental clinic scheduled to open in March in a medical office building at 1240 E. Main St.
Combining all six services — parent infant, Keifer, dental, ob-gyn, pediatrics and adult medical — Rocking Horse expects 56,600 visits in 2010, far exceeding any expectations of the clinic when it opened as a pediatrics-only clinic in 1999.
“It became pretty obvious to us early on that to have healthy children you have to take care of the parents and the grandparents as well,” said Rocking Horse founder and medical director Dr. James Duffee. “To go (from pediatrics) to six service lines is something we’re pretty excited about.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.
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