Molly Mason, of Dundee, a certified physician assistant, recently joined the staff of Union Hospital First Care, the urgent care facility in Dover.
Growing patient volumes were behind the move to bring on a physician assistant, according to Karie Rice, First Care manager. The addition of Molly to our staff is a direct response to the communitys positive reception of our services, she said. The skills she brings to the practice will enable us to keep wait times as short as possible as clients arrive on a walk-in basis.
Physician assistants, or PACs, are able to write prescriptions, order and interpret lab tests, administer intravenous medicine, and perform a wide variety of patient care services.
Im quite happy that shes going to be working with us, said Dr. Phillip Teague of Sugarcreek. Teague is one of five area primary care physicians who provide part-time physician care at First Care, in addition to maintaining their private practices, which in the case of Dr. Teague, is 20 years old.
Ive enjoyed working with physician assistants in the past. Molly is very capable and is going to do very well helping us serve our patients more efficiently, he said.
First Care provides diagnostic and short-term medical services for acute, non-emergency health issues, such as sprains and strains, minor wounds, colds and flu. The facility also functions as an outpatient lab and X-ray facility and provides services such as sports physicals and work physicals.
Molly Mason is a 2004 Garaway High School graduate, earned her bachelors degree in biology from Grove City College in Pennsylvania and her masters degree in physician assistant studies from Chatham University in Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the staff of First Care, she spent a year on rotations at nine hospital emergency departments.
Molly is a great addition to our team, said Dr. Greg Christensen, medical director at First Care. She actually had a chance to work at a major hospital emergency department, but she chose, instead, to return to Tuscarawas County and join us at First Care.
I am thrilled to be working in the community where I grew up, said Mason. Its nice to see some familiar faces come through the door.
According to Mason, First Care appealed to her, in part, because she believes it helps to fill a niche in the community in a way that supplements private physician practices.
Over the holidays, for example, we were able to fill that gap when physician offices were closed, she explained. People knew they could come here and be treated, yet with the assurance that their family doctor would be kept in the loop.
In addition to the physicians and Mason, First Care employs six medical assistants, three radiology and lab technicians, a registration clerk and an office manager.
The staff is terrific here, said Mason. Each member of the technical staff is cross-trained to do one anothers job, which enables us to really work efficiently as a team.
Union Hospital opened First Care in January of 2007. It is located at 340 Oxford Street in Dover. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. No appointment is necessary to see the doctor.
