Weatherford Regional Hospital Plans to Open Convenient Care Clinic in Southwestern Memorial Facility

Weatherford, OK, July 30, 2008 – Residents of the Weatherford Area will soon have a new option in local healthcare. Weatherford Regional Hospital is planning on opening a Convenient Care Clinic in the Southwestern Memorial facility located on Kansas and Franklin. The vision of the clinic will be to serve non-emergent patients who can not or do not want to wait to get in to see a doctor and are not urgent enough to be seen in the emergency room.

The new Convenient Care Clinic will bring a distinct advantage to area residents for healthcare options. Convenient Care will be charged as a clinic rather than an ER visit. The cost difference is quite substantial and will allow patients to be seen in a more time efficient manner rather than waiting days to get in to see a doctor or having to wait at the emergency room. Weatherford Regional Hospital CEO Debbie Howe stated, “We are making this move to provide another alternative to patients who can’t get into the doctor and don’t need an emergency room visit.” David Abbott PA, who currently runs the Weatherford and Thomas Clinic, will be over the Convenient Care Clinic.

The preliminary plans for the clinic are for the main entrance on the East side to serve as the entry point to the clinic. The former specialty clinic at SMH will serve as the patient rooms for the clinic.

As a result of opening the Convenient Care Clinic, WRH will be closing the clinic that David Abbott currently operates in Weatherford at the Weatherford Medical Center and in Thomas at the Thomas Family Medicine Center. The Convenient Care Clinic is tentatively scheduled to open in January 2009.