AdventHealth Celebrates Anniversary Of Clinic Reopening

CEDARTOWN — AdventHealth Medical Group Family and Internal Medicine at Cedartown is celebrating its first year since reopening in 2023.

In 2021, Hospital Corporation of America shuttered the Redmond Family Care Clinic, which had served Cedartown since 2015 at the 1168 N. Main St. location and for several decades before at other locations.

Following AdventHealth’s acquisition of Redmond Regional Medical Center in the fall of 2021, AdventHealth prioritized its footprint in Polk County and re-opened the clinic in Cedartown in July 2023 in the same location as before.

However, the HCA closure had left many without services, and jobs.

While a 30-minute drive may seem simple for some, Homer Walker, 76, and Gerri Walker, 66, found it to be a very difficult and tiresome commute. The Walkers were not the only ones left scrambling from the clinic’s closure.

At the time of the HCA closure in 2021, Jina Ford, Redmond Family Care’s former family nurse practitioner, and other team members of the clinic, found themselves suddenly searching for new employment options.

AdventHealth sought to not only rebuild the trust from the community, but also HCA’s former employees by reopening the clinic.

“AdventHealth Redmond’s administration has been helpful every step of the way as Jina and I have helped to rebuild the clinic’s footprint in Polk County,” said Tammy Jarrell, practice manager, in a press release.

Another way AdventHealth is seeking to rebuild that trust is through hosting community events. On average, the clinic hosts, sponsors or participates in more than 20 events a year and offers general care to residents of Polk County.

Recently, through their partnership with Polk County, the clinical team provided biometric screenings to more than 210 county employees in two and a half days.

“We don’t only provide great care to our patients, but we give back to our community and show them the love they deserve,” said Jarrell.

Another way the clinic supports the community is by working to bring the best medical providers to town. AdventHealth Redmond recently hired Dr. Greta Flaherty, who specializes in osteopathic medicine and is well known throughout the Northwest Georgia region. For two consecutive years, Dr. Flaherty has been named Best Family Doctor by the Rome News-Tribune’s annual Best in Rome publication.

“Intentionality is key and bringing a provider in as skilled as Dr. Flaherty who also has ties to the community was a no-brainer,” Ford said in a release.

A clinic’s success often stems from patient experiences. The hope of a positive clinical outcome gets a patient to the care of a provider, but personal connection is what brings them back.

“The staff makes you feel like you matter,” said Homer Walker, a patient at the center. “From the moment we arrive, they ask us how our day is going and about our family. You don’t get those kinds of interactions everywhere; we always leave the clinic in a better mood and feeling better about our health.”

Right next door to the clinic is AdventHealth Redmond Sports Med & Rehab Cedartown. The clinic offers a multitude of services: cardiac rehabilitation, industrial rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation, occupational therapy, outpatient rehab as well as Parkinson’s rehab, physical therapy and speech therapy.