Clinic inside Beward Pharmacy aims to expand care in area

Walk-in treatment, extended hours and coordinated care offered

MIFFLINTOWN -- Beginning Aug. 13, a Juniata County resident with a sore throat or minor cut will have another option for treatment without driving to Lewistown.

Matilda Clinic, a same-day medical clinic opening inside Beward Pharmacy at 24082 Route 35 North, will accept appointments and walk-ins.

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 13. The larger development is the addition of another local option for routine medical care.

Greg Rockson, owner of Matilda Clinic, said the company selected Juniata County because it's the kind of rural community the clinic was created to serve.

The county has about 23,400 residents, with more than one in five residents 65 or older, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Juniata County's low-income population is also designated as a full-county primary care Health Professional Shortage Area.

"The primary unmet need is convenient access to routine and ongoing care close to home," Rockson said. "Juniata County has a shortage of primary care providers, and residents who need hospital-based services have to travel outside the county."

The clinic will treat common illnesses and minor injuries, including colds, flu, respiratory infections, ear and eye infections, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, rashes, sprains, and minor cuts.

Providers will also assess and clean wounds, change dressings, remove sutures, and repair simple cuts.

Two nurse practitioners will staff the clinic, with support from Beward Pharmacy's pharmacists and remote clinical pharmacists.

The clinic will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It'll be closed Sunday.

When it opens, Matilda Clinic will accept Geisinger Health Plan. Patients should call to confirm their coverage. The clinic is accepting new patients.

Matilda Clinic won't provide emergency care. Patients with chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe breathing problems, heavy bleeding, or major trauma should call 911.

Patients may walk in or call ahead. They also may have prescriptions sent to Beward or another pharmacy.

The clinic's broader plan is to connect medical treatment with medication management.

Rockson calls the program Coordinated Care. Patients who use both businesses may see a clinic provider while pharmacists review their medications, share relevant health information, and monitor their progress.

Patients managing diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease could receive treatment at the clinic and medication support from the pharmacy team.

"Our goal is to provide coordinated care rather than treating each visit or prescription as an isolated event," Rockson said.

That coordination drives the clinic-pharmacy partnership. Pharmacists often become involved after a medical visit, when a prescription reaches the counter. Matilda Clinic will put medical providers and pharmacists in the same building, giving them a chance to work from the same care plan.

Rockson said the arrangement could reduce gaps in care and help patients manage their medications and treatment.

He pointed to county health figures as evidence of the need. Citing Pennsylvania Department of Health data, Rockson said about 14% of Juniata County adults have diabetes, 33% have obesity, and 24% describe their health as fair or poor.

"A patient with diabetes or high blood pressure, for example, can receive care from the clinic provider while also receiving medication support and follow-up from the pharmacy team," Rockson said. "That coordination can help identify problems earlier and make it easier for patients to remain engaged in their care."

Rebecca Gesselman, Beward Pharmacy's front-end manager, expects convenience to be one of the clinic's main benefits.

Juniata County residents often travel to Lewistown for walk-in medical care, she said. The clinic won't handle trauma or emergencies, but it'll offer another option for minor illnesses, infections, and simple procedures.

"I think it's going to be convenient there for the customers and everyone to come in," Gesselman said.

Patients who receive a prescription will leave the clinic and walk directly into the pharmacy, she said.

The clinic's extended schedule may make it easier for patients to seek care before or after work. Its weekday hours will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 7 p.m., outside the hours offered by many traditional medical offices.

Beward Pharmacy has served the community since 1923. Rockson said opening inside a longtime local pharmacy gives Matilda Clinic a familiar setting and an immediate connection to the people it hopes to serve.

Matilda Clinic will be the company's first location.

Rockson named the clinic after his mother, Matilda.

"She is the most compassionate and loving person I know," he said. "I want our clinics to live up to her character and standards of care."

The name sets a standard. The clinic will have to meet it through the care patients receive after it opens.

Rockson said the clinic is intended to work alongside existing providers.

"We are not trying to replace the physicians, hospitals or health systems already serving the region," he said. "We want to add capacity, coordinate with existing providers, and make routine care more accessible."

Free health screenings will be offered Aug. 13-15. Patients may call 717-915-6801 for information or to arrange a visit.

After the ribbon is cut, the clinic will face its real test: whether placing routine medical care inside a familiar pharmacy makes it easier for Juniata County residents to receive it.