St. Joseph Health Network Strausstown held an open house for the community on Dec. 8 and officially opened on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Allowing the community to have a preview of the center, previously Strausstown Elementary School, and interact with its staff emphasized the importance of the relationship between the urgent and diagnostic care center and those it will serve.
Attendees had the opportunity to not only tour the center, but to also ask questions along the way and hear from the people that will be working in that specific area of the center.
The facility offers both a Primary Care Family Practice and an Urgent Care center. Laboratory and radiological services are also available as well as EKGs offered every day by trained staff and WorkCare Occupational Medicine for job-related injuries.
‘We do can everything and anything they need test wise for the hospital,’ said one of the laboratory technicians. ‘We’re community based. Any doctor can give the script, it does not have to be the doctors here.’
The radiological services can also help one prepare for the hospital ahead of time with tests.
‘You can prep ahead of time instead of having the tests done at the hospital,’ said one of the radiological technicians. ‘We’re all happy to be here.’
The WorkCare department is ready for anything from injuries at work to yearly tests and drug screenings that would be needed for employees or employers. Their services are designed to provide employers with all their healthcare needs including custom designed physical examinations while also providing employees with work-related injuries. According to the staff, they have everything set up and ready for WorkCare needs.
In the case of a life threatening emergency, one should always call 911, but the Urgent Care center is ready and available to provide care in the case that one’s primary physician is not available. The no appointment needed, walk-in center is made up of five exam rooms. Someone in the need for urgent care will be brought back to the nurses station and receive an initial assessment. The center then can do x-rays if needed and splint the injury in the case of break before the person needs to go to the hospital.
For non-urgent needs the Primary Care consists of two physicians who are seen by appointment. Both physicians are accepting new patients. Office hours for this part of the center are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. To schedule an appointment call 610-488-7080.
At the end of the tours, guests were led to a hallway filled with brochures, freebies, information and more representatives involved with the center. What most people were drawn to were the old photographs of the building’s history as the elementary school that were hanging throughout the center. A few guests even found themselves and one early visitor found himself in one of the photos in a Primary Care exam room. The photos and content were supplied by Vera Breidegan and the artwork was created by Tracy McKay.
St. Joseph Health Network Urgent and Diagnostic Care at Strausstown is located at 44 East Ave. in Strausstown. The center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday and Holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center is closed on Christmas Day. To reach the center, call 610-488-9790.
From reactions prior to and at the open house, though the community is sadden by the loss of the elementary school, they are looking forward to the benefits of having the center in Strausstown.
