NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System continues to expand their family practice clinic.
"We brought on Dr. Johnson, probably almost six months ago," said Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional. "She has been seeing patients now, fully going for a month. The good news is that, her clinic is filling up so fast, it's necessitated additional providers. We've added a PA, Corwin Nozari. He'll start in a few months. We hope at four months that we'll have a complete entourage of physicians, including six."
Welch says the need is great.
"I've done a three year, pretty exhaustive market study on the ebbs and flows of patients and where they go for their care," Welch said. "Reno County, we sit in about a $250 million market. Those are actually people's lives.The dollars represent health care that's provided to the Reno County constituents. Unfortunately, about 43% of those folks are leaving Reno County to find health care outside of our community."
There are some things that Hutchinson doesn't have, but to Welch, it's important to equip what Hutchinson Regional can do, and that is provide that primary care piece here without travel.
"It's a medical truism that patients, 90% of the time, do better when they're surrounded by friends and family to heal. They do better at home."
According to the community health needs assessment, Reno County should have about 72 primary care doctors, right now they are at about 55.