Geisinger 65 Forward to begin seeing patients Monday
SHAMOKIN DAM – The new Geisinger 65 Forward Center in Shamokin Dam will officially begin seeing patients Monday. We last told you the center is region’s first health center geared toward senior citizens 65 and older. Geisinger says the center brings high-end, VIP-type care to Geisinger patients and health plan members.
Dr. Gary Kemberling is a family physician at the center and he says it’s a team approach, “Our goal is to practice good preventative medicine to keep people healthy, keep people out of the emergency rooms and out of the hospitals, and try to take care of them at home. We have dieticians, pharmacists, wellness coaches, RN’s, LPN’s, lab and X-ray, and everything is under one roof.”
Geisinger 65 Forward features fitness equipment, space for exercise and wellness classes, and a rotating list of activities that can be done virtually or in small groups.
Dr. Kemberling says appointments are about an hour long to really dive into patient needs, “We also have a smaller panel size. The average panel size for physicians across the country is about 2,000 patients…here we have a maximum of 450 per doctor…so we can spend that time taking care of the patients and not have to worry about all the additional phone calls and referral requests.”
The center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and it’s located in the Orchard Hills Plaza on Baldwin Boulevard in Shamokin Dam.
