Family Medical Clinic opened its doors for a ribbon cutting and grand opening last Thursday, October 29 at its new location in Folsom. Officially known as
STPN-Folsom, attendees received an up-close look at the new 6,500 square foot state-of-the-art
facility built by St. Tammany Parish Hospital just 17 miles south of
Franklinton.
An
overflow crowd of people showed up for the grand opening of STPN-Folsom (St.
Tammany Physicians Network-Folsom). With many Franklinton residents in attendance,
the automatic doors had to be left open at one point to provide enough room for
everyone. In addition to receiving a tour of the new facility, visitors were
treated to boiled shrimp, pasta, an assortment of fruit, cake and punch.
"The
response to the open house from the friends of Family Medical Clinic and the
folks of Folsom and Western St. Tammany Parish was not only overwhelming but
humbling," said Dr. Gerald Foret, founder of Family Medical Clinic in
Franklinton.
STPN-Folsom, or Family Medical Clinic, is the
only primary care provider in Folsom. Dr. Libeau Berthelot, Dr. Mark James and
Dr. Christopher Foret bring over 75 years of experience with them as
board-certified physicians. Their affiliation with STPH provides access to all
resources the hospital system has to offer. The new clinic in Folsom has the
same staff that was employed on their last day in Franklinton with the
exception of one employee who accepted a position with STPH.
“I am so proud that St. Tammany Parish
Hospital is bringing a primary care office to Folsom,” said James Core,
Vice-Chairman, STPH Board of Commissioners, and resident of Folsom. “The care
and experience these physicians bring will be an excellent addition to our
community.”
Family
Medical Clinic had been located on Riverside Drive in Franklinton since 1968
when Dr. Gerald Foret opened the practice. After nearly 50 years of service,
the clinic closed its doors on October 15, 2015 when the Board of Directors of
Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital failed to reach an
agreement that would have kept the practice in Franklinton. STPH had served as
the employer at Family Medical Clinic since 2003.
Folsom
Mayor Bettye Boggs was on hand to welcome the new clinic to the Village.
"The Village of Folsom
is very pleased to welcome Family Medical Clinic to our area," said Boggs.
"We are very glad to have the clinic here to provide for the health needs
of our community as well as for the outlying areas around the Village of
Folsom."
The doctors
of Family Medical Clinic are extremely appreciative of the support received
from STPH while also looking forward to continuing to provide first-class health
care and friendships for current and future patients.
"I am
excited about adding a new group of patients from the Folsom area," said
Dr. James. "But we won't forget about our old patients in Washington,
Tangipahoa Parish, and Walthall County. The staff and physicians look forward
to serving you at our new location."
"We
have been honored to have treated our neighbors and been part of the (Franklinton)
community for over 47 years," said Dr. Chris Foret. "I have been
privileged to work with great people like Mark James, Libeau Berthelot
and my father, Gerald Foret. The time has come for us to begin a new chapter in
our lives and we appreciate the support of the St Tammany Parish Hospital Board
and administration through a very difficult situation."
With 35
years of service at Family Medical Clinic, the longest tenured doctor expressed
a heartfelt thank you to his patients.
"My
family and I arrived here in June of 1980," said Dr. Berthelot. "We
consider Franklinton and Washington Parish our home. My wife and I raised three
beautiful and successful children here. We have been an integral part of the
community for 35 years. However, because of a desire to remain employed by my
current employer, I have been forced to relocate my practice of medicine to our
new location in Folsom."
"For those of you who follow us to our new location, I thank you from the
bottom of my heart. For those who cannot, I want to thank you for your previous
support and I hope and pray that you can find adequate healthcare elsewhere. I
will always consider you as friends."
According to STPH Director of
Communication Melissa Hodgson, the STPN-Folsom office was designed after the
Network's Madisonville office.
"The design of our Madisonville
office has been a patient and staff satisfier, so the Folsom office is based on
that model," said Hodgson.
The new clinic features offices for
the doctors with each having three examination rooms. A modern nurses station with
individual computer terminals provides a spacious area for the doctors'
assistants to work. New x-ray equipment and additional equipment for various
tests provides patients with the ability to have most tests performed and read
in-house.
Construction
on the new STPN-Folsom began in April 2015 and the clinic began seeing patients
on October 19. Due to the sudden need to build a new facility and have it ready
to receive patients by their expiration date in Washington Parish, STPH went
with a long-term lease which enabled construction to begin almost immediately
after the board realized remaining in Franklinton wasn't an option.
"We are excited to open
STPN-Folsom at 82525 Highway 25, the new home for our long-time Family Medical
Clinic doctors," said Hodgson. "We announced the move after it became
clear the Washington Parish Council would not be able to renew the agreement
that enabled STPH to practice in their service district.
"We are committed to Family
Medical Clinic, its staff and the patients it serves, so we immediately began
to look for ways to continue to serve the need from inside the confines of our
service district after the October 27 expiration. The Village of Folsom turned
out to be the perfect location for a new office, and we were thrilled everyone
involved was able to move so quickly to ensure there was no interruption in
medical service for our patients in this area."
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A grand opening and ribbon cutting
ceremony was held on Thursday, October 29 for the new Family Medical Clinic in
Folsom, LA. Included in the ribbon cutting ceremony were numerous STPH board
members and personnel, FMC Doctors Libeau Berthelot, Mark James and Christopher Foret, Dr.
Gerald and Mrs. Gayle Foret, X-Ray technician Katie Bulloch and Folsom Mayor
Bettye Boggs.
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