Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BUENA VISTA — Phoebe is improving access to primary and specialty care for people in the northern and western sections of Phoebe Sumter Medical Center’s service area by opening a new clinic in Marion County. Members of the Phoebe family gathered with community leaders and area dignitaries Wednesday to cut the ribbon on Phoebe Primary Care of Buena Vista. The 11,873 sq. ft., $4.2 million facility is located at the intersection of Ga. Highways 41 and 137 on the north side of Buena Vista.

“People who live in rural areas of southwest Georgia deserve access to comprehensive, quality healthcare. Unfortunately, many of those areas are underserved. At Phoebe Sumter, we are committed to changing that. Through our clinic in Buena Vista, we will provide a level of healthcare that simply has not been easily available to people in and around Marion County before now,” said Brandi Lunneborg, Phoebe Sumter chief executive officer.

In 2017, Phoebe Sumter cemented its commitment to Marion County by working with Phoebe Physicians to begin operating a clinic in Buena Vista through a partnership with Dr. Daniel Singleton. Phoebe Sumter purchased land for the new clinic in February 2018, and broke ground on the facility in September 2018.

Singleton is a native of Buena Vista, and is the only full-time physician in Marion County. Six of the seven counties bordering Marion County also do not have full-time physicians. “I am committed to my hometown. I want to take care of people like I wish my grandmother could have been taken care of in this county. I want to create a place where I know the people of this community can get the care they need,” Singleton said.

Singleton, along with Sarah Tanner, FNP-C, and the entire Phoebe team in Buena Vista, will provide outstanding primary care. Phoebe specialists will also rotate through the clinic. Orthopaedist Dr. Ryan Breland and Cardiologist Dr. Ngoc Nguyen recently joined the Phoebe Sumter family. They live and work in Americus and will regularly see patients in Buena Vista. The clinic will also offer rehabilitation services and will add additional specialties in the future.

“Phoebe Physicians continues to expand services throughout our region,” said Suresh Lakhanpal, MD, Phoebe Physicians president. “We have an incredible multi-specialty team made up of highly-skilled clinicians who work together to coordinate care for our patients. We don’t want southwest Georgians to have to travel far from home for care, so our goal is to enhance primary care and bring as many specialists as possible to our various locations in nearly a dozen counties.”

The Buena Vista Clinic includes 13 exam rooms, a procedure room, a lab, x-ray capabilities, and space for education and community meetings. It is the first Phoebe facility designed with modular work stations rather than traditional nurse stations to improve workflow and increase efficiency. Patients may schedule appointments by calling 229-649-2273.