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SACKETS HARBOR With work progressing at a planned family-care clinic in the village, representatives from Watertowns Samaritan Medical Center on Tuesday night outlined the uses for the clinic, which is scheduled to open in April.
The Sackets Family Health Center, 107 Barracks Road, will offer family practice and lab draw services, with the potential for X-ray work to be added if the demand is there. Clinic appointments will be from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. weekdays.
This is a great opportunity to be a part of your community, and we appreciate that opportunity, said William R. Randy Fipps, the hospitals assistant vice president of operations.
David L. Dermady, the hospitals director of support services, said he hoped the space could be seen as a community resource.
The two spoke at the monthly meeting of the village Board of Trustees, and told the board that the clinic will be staffed by a physician assistant, a licensed practical nurse and a clerk. The hospital said that Dr. Parul Saxena, who will supervise the PAs work, has discussed spending one day a week at the clinic to provide womens health appointments.
Mr. Fipps and Mr. Dermady said the clinic would accept Tricare insurance, which is helpful to the nearby military population.
Other topics discussed Tuesday included the possibility of providing times for school sports and bus driver physicals, along with flu-shot clinics and assisting the villages summer recreation programs.
Village Trustee John W. LaDuc praised Samaritan for being great as far as working with us.
On Wednesday morning, work continued on the buildings exterior and approximately 2,300-square-foot interior. To get the former chiropractors office up to state Department of Health standards, Samaritan has committed tens of thousands of dollars to renovations and improvements.
The site is next door to a smaller space that was operated as an outreach clinic by Carthage Area Hospital; the clinic closed in May.
Late last year, Samaritan sought financial support from the village and the town of Hounsfield to help cover the losses it projected for its clinics first few years of operation. However, the two municipalities declined to do so, citing concerns of creating a precedent of providing municipal funds to private entities.