Geisinger opens 65 Forward Pottsville
Senior-focused primary care comes to Schuylkill County
POTTSVILLE, Pa. – Geisinger patients and members in Schuylkill County can now take advantage of a proven model of senior-focused primary care to make better health easier.
Geisinger 65 Forward Pottsville is open at 529 Terry Reiley Way and offers the personalized care, inviting environment, and wellness and social benefits that Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage members appreciate at all 65 Forward locations.
With same-day appointments and up to one-hour physician visits, 65 Forward patients get the care they need to manage chronic conditions. Lab, imaging, mental health and nutrition services are onsite in 65 Forward Health Centers, which also offer personalized wellness plans, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, exercise classes, and fun and educational group activities to combat senior isolation.
Compared to a similar population cared for in a traditional primary care model, 65 Forward patients have had about 15 percent fewer hospital admissions and about 40 percent fewer emergency department visits.
The 7,500 square-foot 65 Forward Pottsville center was part of a two-floor renovation at Geisinger Pottsville that established the 65 Forward space on the facility’s first floor where it would be most accommodating to older adults. In total, the project was a $5.8 million investment in the Pottsville community.
Ricky Heath, M.D., is the first physician to join 65 Forward Pottsville, and he specializes in geriatrics and internal medicine. Dr. Heath helps patients and their families manage age-related health conditions like frailty, falls, dizziness and confusion and has held several leadership roles in establishing senior-focused care programs before coming to Geisinger. He also has clinical expertise in helping patients manage multiple prescriptions.
“The thing I love most about being a geriatrician is taking the time to sit with patients and understand what matters most to them, and that’s why the 65 Forward model is attractive to me as a care provider,” Dr. Heath said. “By working together, we can achieve and maintain our patients’ health goals.”
Geisinger 65 Forward Pottsville is open at 529 Terry Reiley Way and offers the personalized care, inviting environment, and wellness and social benefits that Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage members appreciate at all 65 Forward locations.
With same-day appointments and up to one-hour physician visits, 65 Forward patients get the care they need to manage chronic conditions. Lab, imaging, mental health and nutrition services are onsite in 65 Forward Health Centers, which also offer personalized wellness plans, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, exercise classes, and fun and educational group activities to combat senior isolation.
Compared to a similar population cared for in a traditional primary care model, 65 Forward patients have had about 15 percent fewer hospital admissions and about 40 percent fewer emergency department visits.
The 7,500 square-foot 65 Forward Pottsville center was part of a two-floor renovation at Geisinger Pottsville that established the 65 Forward space on the facility’s first floor where it would be most accommodating to older adults. In total, the project was a $5.8 million investment in the Pottsville community.
Ricky Heath, M.D., is the first physician to join 65 Forward Pottsville, and he specializes in geriatrics and internal medicine. Dr. Heath helps patients and their families manage age-related health conditions like frailty, falls, dizziness and confusion and has held several leadership roles in establishing senior-focused care programs before coming to Geisinger. He also has clinical expertise in helping patients manage multiple prescriptions.
“The thing I love most about being a geriatrician is taking the time to sit with patients and understand what matters most to them, and that’s why the 65 Forward model is attractive to me as a care provider,” Dr. Heath said. “By working together, we can achieve and maintain our patients’ health goals.”
About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
