Pictured above is the waiting room at the soon-to-open MTCC pediatric clinic.The pediatric clinic at MTCC has three exam rooms and will soon open its doors to patients.Peggy Addington
Director, MTCC Pediatric Clinic

MTCC to offer pediatric services for local residents

William Buchheit's picture
By: 
Amanda Irwin
‘It started with a vision for pediatric outreach because they felt in this area there’s a need.’ Peggy Addington Director, MTCC Pediatric Clinic

Middle Tyger Community Center is continuing to broaden its reach.

In September, the center, located at 84 Groce Road in Lyman, opened a free clinic for uninsured residents. Soon Middle Tyger plans to add pediatric care to the long lists of services it offers on a daily basis.

The pediatric center’s opening date is yet to be announced, but once open, hours will be on Thursdays 9 a.m. – noon. General medical services will be offered to individuals 15 year old and younger. The free clinic, which only accepts uninsured adults, is open Thursdays from 4 p.m. until all the patients have been seen. Both clinics are by appointment only.

“[Spartanburg Regional] had in their vision to start a pediatric outreach program which involved the school for the deaf and blind, Middle Tyger Community Center,” said Peggy Addington, director of the MTCC’s pediatric clinic. “It started with a vision for pediatric outreach because they felt in this area there’s a need.”

The pediatric clinic accepts all insurances, but similar to the free clinic, all individuals will have to interview with Access Health, a program in Spartanburg that helps uninsured individuals.

“I just think because we’re small and because we started small we’re not trying to overbook our schedules so that we’re able to give the care they need,” Addington said. “If we’re not able to provide it here then we reach out and get them assistance and through Access Health we’re able to get them labs.

“Us being able to be their medical home, we’re able to give them the things that they need, but you’ve also got to realize all the services that we have in the building,” she said. “We have heat assistance, we have the ministry program, we have adolescent programs – we’re able to pretty much take care of what they need in the building. We have counselors across the hall for any type of health there. I think because we’re small right now, we’re not able to take a lot of patients, but the patients we do take are getting excellent care.”

Addington said when the free clinic first opened about six patients were on the schedule and some were no-shows, but the longer the clinic has been open the less no-shows there are. Presently, in about a three-hour timeframe, 10 patients are see each Thursday at the free clinic half of which are usually new patients.

“Mostly what we’re seeing with adults in those clinics are chronic conditions – diabetes, hypertensions, they haven’t been to the doctors in years, they just don’t have the funds to by the medications,” she said. “I think we’ve done a lot there if we can just get those doctors to come on board with us and see patients.”

The free clinic and pediatric clinic are in need of doctors willing to volunteer their time.

“We need physicians that are willing to volunteer. We have tried our best to reach out to the community. We’re not having a lot of response from the physicians,” Addington said.

Already the clinic’s first day with its doors open has a filled appointment book with three exams rooms filled. For pediatric services, individuals do not have to be established and have a wellness visit before the doctor will see them for a sickness.

“We’ve got a lot to offer we’ve just got to get it going, but I think we’ve done good,” Addington said.

To schedule an appointment at either clinic or for more information about the free clinic or pediatric clinic, contact the MTCC at 439-7760.

 

airwin@greercitizen.com | 877-2076

The Greer Citizen

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