Residents in the Geneva area will have more healthcare choices than ever this June when Ashtabula County Medical Center opens the Geneva Family Health Center, bringing both primary and specialty care providers to Geneva. The Geneva facility will also offer a walk-in Express Care clinic and laboratory services.
ACMC Family Medicine physician Emily Cheich, DO, will see patients at Geneva Family Health Center, which is located on Route 534 in the Colonel’s Plaza.
“Family Medicine is about taking care of people of all ages. I see children to senior citizens. The problems may be different, but our goal is to always help people get better,” she said.
The creation of the Geneva Family Health Center will also create seamless access to the full complement of physician specialists who work at ACMC – allowing patients to be seen close to home rather than be transferred to Geauga County or Cleveland.
“Access to primary care is vital to the health and well-being of a community and a recent study by The Advisory Board, a leading national healthcare consulting firm, shows that Geneva does not have enough primary care providers to meet the needs of the community,” said Michael J. Habowski, President and CEO of the ACMC Healthcare System. “As the only full-service hospital in Ashtabula County – and with an employed physician group of more than 70 full-time physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants – ACMC is best suited to help meet that need. In addition to primary care, specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopaedics, pulmonology, and urology will offer office appointments in the Geneva Family Health Center.”
Habowski added, “Many patients in the Geneva area already trust their care to ACMC. Having a physical presence in the community makes ACMC’s quality healthcare even more accessible to more people.”
Based on data provided by the Ohio Hospital Association, over 50% of Ashtabula County residents receive healthcare services outside of the county. Many of those services are available at Ashtabula County Medical Center. “ACMC is the only hospital in the county with specialists on call 24-hours a day, seven days a week in Ashtabula County. Our medical staff includes providers who specialize in cardiology; ear, nose and throat; orthopaedics and sports medicine; surgery; urology; gastroenterology; neurology; OB/GYN; ophthalmology; pulmonology; vascular surgery; oncology; psychiatry; pediatrics; podiatry; and allergy and immunology,” said Habowski. “Every time a patient leaves or is transferred out of Ashtabula County for care that could – and should – be delivered here, Ashtabula County suffers. It means more time off from work to travel back and forth, and the money that would have been spent at local stores and restaurants is spent putting gas in the car or paying parking garage fees.”
The Geneva Family Health Center will be the fourth ACMC Express Care location. Express Care is a walk-in clinic for minor illness and injury, including things like: sprains and strains; rashes; sinus, urinary tract, upper respiratory and ear infections; shingles; minor cuts; seasonal allergies; insect bites; and influenza. Express Care will be open in Geneva Monday through Saturday, from 9 AM to 8:30 PM. ACMC also operates Express Care locations in Ashtabula, Conneaut and Jefferson.
ACMC will also offer walk-in lab services at Geneva Family Health Center. The lab will be open to all members of the community, regardless of whether they become patients of the center.
The physicians, lab and Express Care at Geneva Family Health Center will be fully integrated with ACMC’s electronic health record system, so any care received there will become part of the patient’s permanent health record. That information will be available to any other physician in the ACMC and Cleveland Clinic systems, if a referral for specialty care is needed.
“ACMC will celebrate its 112th anniversary this year,” said Habowski. “ACMC will celebrate its 112th anniversary this year,” said Habowski. “Geneva is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and Geneva Township is celebrating its 200th anniversary. We are proud of our history of health care, and we look forward to serving these communities for many more decades to come so more Ashtabula County residents can receive high-quality, nationally ranked healthcare close to home.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Emily Cheich, call 440-997-6969. Visit www.acmchealth.org for complete hours for Geneva Family Health Center, ACMC Express Care, and laboratory services.