Terin Blanchard (left), and Dawn Koch will be providing medical services at the new Blessing Mt. Sterling Clinic at 521 E. Main St.
MOUNT STERLING — The city is getting a new medical clinic.
Blessing Mt. Sterling at 521 E. Main St. will have its official opening ceremony with a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. today ahead of an open house until 6 p.m.
"The community is very excited," clinic manager Michelle Terwelp said. "We have partnered with Action Brown County to help spread the word and have been speaking with several local businesses about their health care needs and how we can help. Several representatives from Mount Sterling have been invited to the ribbon cutting."
Quincy Medical Group — known as QMG Clinic — previously used the space that Blessing Health System now is making its 10th clinic location.
"We have made several renovations to the inside of the clinic to update it with new equipment, furniture, technology, paint colors," Terwelp said.
"Blessing (already) operates nine rural health clinics and we are honored to be welcomed into Mount Sterling to improve the health of the communities of Brown and the surrounding counties," said Gina Genenbacher, director of rural health for Blessing Physician Services.
The clinic will be home to physician Terin Blanchard and Dawn Koch, an advanced practice registered nurse and nurse practitioner, and will offer care in family medicine, pediatrics, telemedicine and worker's compensation. The clinic will have X-ray, lab and EKG availability.
"Growing up in a rural community, and now raising my family in the town in which I was born, I know that it is extremely important to have access to high quality health care without traveling long distances," Koch said. "Rural areas deserve great health care, including preventive health measures. I am dedicated to building a strong, trustworthy practice for the residents of Mount Sterling and surrounding communities."
Koch earned her nursing degree through Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Quincy University and her nurse practitioner degree from Chamberlain University.
Blanchard, a veteran who completed his residency work at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and interned at Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, is excited to be in Mount Sterling to continue working in an industry focused on helping.
"I dedicated a total of 17 years to providing high quality medical care to our service members and their families at home and abroad," Blanchard said. "I'm excited about playing a role in providing that same level of care to the residents of the communities that will be served by the Blessing Mount Sterling Clinic."
The clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.