The Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Board kicked off their first meeting of the new year on Wednesday with a presentation from Greg Shiver, a physician’s assistant at Phoebe Family Medical Center in Camilla. Shiver gave an overview of the practice and how it has expanded over the last 24 years to ensure residents of Mitchell County have local access to care.

The Camilla Family Medical Center, a member of Phoebe Physician Group, opened its doors in January 1992 becoming the first regional primary healthcare center opened by Phoebe.  At that time, a staff of three ran the center but by the end of its first year staff had more than tripled to 15 members to meet the growing demand. Today, the PPG practice has grown to include two locations, one in Camilla and another in Pelham.

During his presentation, Shiver said their practice treats everything from acute injuries such as lacerations and fractured bones to disease management, including diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. In addition, the Camilla center offers two specialty services to its patients. Orthopaedists are onsite twice a month, and cardiologists visit the center once a month.

“The Camilla Family Medical Center has always been a high volume center, and we continue to accept new patients daily,” said Shiver.

At a time when rural hospitals are closing their doors, primary care practices are extremely important to rural healthcare. Access is an integral component of value to patients. By increasing access to primary care, outcomes for population health and the overall healthcare of a community is improved dramatically. Primary care centers are often referred to as the “gatekeepers” to a patient’s health. They regulate patient’s access to specialists and help in early detection of preventable illnesses and diseases – reducing unnecessary doctor visits and high healthcare costs.