St. Francis Medical Center held its very first provider open house
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – St. Francis Medical Center held its first provider open house — Connected Care — Wednesday evening.
St. Francis healthcare providers and community members gathered near the main entrance of the medical center for the Connected Care event.
“Tonight, we’re introducing all our new specialists. So we have specialists from gastroenterology, orthopedics, primary care —,” Chief Physician Executive Andrew Godbey said.
Dr. Godbey said going to the doctor can sometimes feel intimidating to people. This event is a way to break the ice and even form relationships.
“I think there’s some hesitancy in health care,” he said. “You know — how do I navigate health care? Who do I go to?”
He said getting to meet providers and have conversations in a relaxed setting can make it easier for people.
We also talked to new doctors who offer a variety of care — from babies to the elderly — excited to explain their passion for healthcare.
“A lot of people are scared to go to the doctor,” Dr. Tolulope Ifabiyi said. “So this is also a nice event that can kind of break some of those barriers that, you know, going to a doctor doesn’t have to be as scary and daunting as people think it is.”
Each provider had a table set up with information about their services.
In gastroenterology, Dr. Jacob Burch said he’s excited to meet people in the community — getting the chance to explain what he does and how he can help.
“There’s a lot of people in the community who I think can be well served by what we do, either from coming in to see us for their GI complaints or just coming in to do their screening colonoscopies and staying up to date with their health wellness,” Dr. Burch said.
Dr. Godbey said connecting with local people helps integrate their healthcare system into the fabric of the community.
“We want to remain that local health care system,” he said. “Part of being local is getting to know each other, you know. So that when we pass each other in the grocery store, we can say hi.”
Dr. Godbey said they plan to do more provider open houses in the future.
