Bear Creek getting medical clinic

BEAR CREEK - A large audience attending the July 15 Bear Creek Town Council meeting was on hand for the announcement of the town’s first doctor’s office in several decades.
The office, known as Lakeside Family Clinic, will soon to open its doors and provide medical care from the former municipal building on Main Street.
 “This will be the first time that I can remember there being a doctor’s office in Bear Creek.  It’s a huge thing,”  Mayor Rob Taylor said.
“I went to Montgomery with a representative of Lakeland (Community Hospital)  a few months back to ask some help in getting this and, apparently, it has paid off,” Taylor added.
Cherie Sibley,  president and chief executive officer of Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville, then stood beside her medical expert team also in attendance at the meeting and addressed the mayor and council about the opening of medical care for the town of Bear Creek.
“I also spent most of my childhood here in Bear Creek Alabama, so this place is near and dear,” said Sibley, a 1986 graduate of Phillips High School.
Sibley then expressed that she and the Lakeland medical team were excited about the opening of a clinic in Bear Creek.
“We are excited to be a part of the town,” Sibley told the mayor and council.
For the past year, Lakeland Community Hospital has been in discussions with Bear Creek town officials about locating a medical clinic in the town, which will be located  in a building used through the years as a restaurant, grocery store, church and most recently municipal offices.
The town council met at the building before relocating down Main Street to where BankFirst was formerly located. 
The relocation left the former municipal building, where the offices of town and water clerk were also once housed, vacant until this announcement.
“The hardest part of opening a clinic is finding a doctor, a nurse practitioner, then finding a space,” Sibley explained. 
Once the former municipal building was chosen and agreed upon, renovations began under the direction of Lakeland Plant Manager Tim Robertson in order to prepare it for a new medical clinic, Sibley informed.
Although an official opening date for Lakeside Medical Clinic has not yet been released, it is being projected for August.
Plans are for the clinic to be open Monday through Friday, Sibley informed the mayor and council.
The clinic will be staffed by Dr. Larry Johnston, who will also continue working as a physician at Lakeland Family Practice and Sanar Medical Clinic in Haleyville, Sibley explained.
Also on staff at the new clinic will be Rae McCandless, nurse practitioner, as well as Sherri Johnston, who manages the clinics, Sibley further said.
“We will also be bringing on additional staff for services,” she said.
The new clinic will be equipped to do drug screenings, as well as industrial work for local businesses, Sibley cited.
“The town continues to grow, which is exciting.  We want to be here to take care of them,” Sibley stated.
“We appreciate the opportunity,” Sibley continued. “We look forward to making the town proud.”
Sibley then asked the mayor and council to hold up T-shirts featuring the logo for Lakeside Family Practice.
“Thank you,” Taylor responded. “We are  thrilled to have you come to Bear Creek.
“A lot of folks we talked to are tickled to death you are here,” the mayor continued. “They will be coming out here also.
“I think a lot of our folks are already patients of Dr. Johnston,and I think he will get a few more,” Taylor added.
“Anything we can do to assist, we will be glad to help,” Taylor added. “I am thrilled for the town to be able to work with Dr. Johnston, Lakeland Community Hospital and staff to provide this service to the town.”
Lakeside Family Clinic will provide full primary care, caring for children to adults, as well as will do occupational medicine, drug screenings, physicals and help with work injuries, explained Dr. Johnston.
Johnston, who has been a physician with Lakeland Community Hospital the past three years, noted he was excited to also begin work in Bear Creek.
“Hopefully, it will be a good thing for the people,” Johnston said. “There are a lot of folks who don’t want to drive all the way into Haleyville or to Russellville, so it will be more convenient for them.”
Sherri Johnston added she was happy for Bear Creek to begin offering health services and “for the patients we have that don’t have to drive so far,” she said.
The clinics in Haleyville already see a good number of Bear Creek residents, Sherri stated.