Our Daily Show! OSF St. Anthony's 100 Year Open House: Jackie and Melissa- OSF Med Group
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON - OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center has officially marked its 100th anniversary, and their Medical Group remains one of their most popular offerings.
Jackie and Melissa, who work with the primary care team in the Medical Group, noted that primary care is “your first step to getting in the door” to be established with a physician. The physician can also refer you to any specialist you might need to see. The two women encouraged people to work with their primary care doctor to manage their healthcare needs.
“There are different challenges that we run into every day. There’s a lot of celebrations we get to do, as well,” said Jackie. “On a typical day, we see anywhere from 100 to 180 patients come through our clinic. Some of them are there for just their regular follow-up visits. Some of them are establishing care. Some of them are coming in for lab work, or we also have a nurse clinic, which is really nice.”
Melissa pointed out that the Medical Group also partners with different organizations across the river in Missouri, so people don’t have to travel all the way to St. Louis to get the care they need. For example, they can access St. Louis University doctors in Alton. Melissa and Jackie agree that this is a great resource for patients.
“We try to provide as many of the services as we can here locally,” Melissa said. “We have ten different specialties over two different floors with lots of different agreements.”
As far as their specialties go, the neurology office is “very busy” because there aren’t many neurologists available locally. Melissa shared that a new nurse practitioner recently started in the office so they can provide more care.
In fact, the OSF Medical Group recently welcomed several new providers. As a result, patients have the opportunity to be seen relatively soon by a primary care provider. Jackie and Melissa noted that it can sometimes take months to connect with a primary care provider for an initial visit; currently, at OSF, they can get you in within the week.
When you’re preparing for an appointment with the OSF Medical Group, Jackie and Melissa encourage patients to focus on finding a provider who works well with them. They noted you can also expect to receive a phone call before your appointment. They urge patients to come prepared.
“You want to find someone that you're comfortable with. Sometimes it’s best to make an appointment to meet that provider and make sure that you’re compatible,” Jackie explained. “Always make sure you have your insurance information. They're going to ask you some pre-visit planning questions. You’ll get a call about that, just your medication list, your medical history, any pertinent information around your healthcare that would be beneficial.”
Melissa and Jackie believe the OSF Medical Group is a powerful resource in the community, and they encourage people to reach out about scheduling an appointment. For more information about OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center, visit their official website.
More like this:
