OSF HealthCare Ushers in New Care Option for the Riverbend
As part of its ongoing investment in the Riverbend community, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center welcomed its newest addition, a primary care and PromptCare office in Godfrey, with a blessing and dedication ceremony on Wednesday, December 13.
Nearly 70 OSF HealthCare Mission Partners, leaders, community members and Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George gathered to celebrate OSF HealthCare Medical Group – Godfrey with prayer, song, fellowship and reflection. Father Steve Sotiroff also blessed the new space with holy water.
The blessing and dedication of a new space is an OSF HealthCare tradition. One that Sister M. Anselma Belongea, OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center Chief Operating Officer, says truly represents the OSF HealthCare Mission, to serve with the greatest care and love.
“We really want God’s blessings to permeate everything that we do at OSF HealthCare,” said Sister Anselma. “So today was a beautiful experience of letting that lead, before we actually enter into this building and bring our patients here and our Mission Partners here. We wanted the physical space to have His mark, His blessing. It’s kind of like a time of preparation for everything that we’re going to be doing here.”
The new Godfrey office will include primary care and PromptCare services, 24 exam rooms and nine OSF HealthCare providers. The $5 million, 13,000 square foot office space has taken nearly six months to complete.
OSF HealthCare Medical Group - Godfrey will provide residents of the Riverbend easy access to both primary care and urgent care services.
“We’re combining primary care and PromptCare together to create better access, and we know from studies that having primary care access will help us live longer, as well as maintain just a better quality of life,” said David Wells, Vice President of OSF HealthCare Medical Group – Alton Region.
OSF Saint Anthony’s President Ajay Pathak agrees, adding that better health care builds better communities.
“When I think of OSF HealthCare and OSF Medical Group, and what we do here in the Riverbend, our intention is to make the health and wellness of our community the highest quality that we absolutely can,” said Pathak. “That’s best for the region - ultimately making our region desirable for people to come move, for businesses to locate and drive economic activity, and live thriving vibrant lives.”
A public open house for the new medical office building will be scheduled in January. OSF HealthCare Medical Group - Godfrey is scheduled to officially open its doors to patients by the end of December 2017.