Wills Memorial CEO Marvin Goldman (left) announced in May that the first principal players in Community Medical Associates will be (l-r) Dr. Lester Johnston, Dr. Robert Williams, Keith Cunningham, and Kelly Powell. Beginning next week, Community Medical Associates (CMA), a hospital based family medical practice group with locations in Washington and Lincolnton, will be scheduling appointments in anticipation of the opening of its Washington location on August 2. CMA will also assume the management role for the practice of Dr. Robert Williams in Lincolnton, who will continue in his current location almost without interruption.

In addition to Williams, the Lincolnton office will be staffed by nurse practitioner Keith Cunningham. Dr. Lester Johnston, formerly associated with MedLink, will head the staff in Washington. Kelly Powell, RN, is the CMA manager for both locations.

The Washington clinic will officially open on August 2 and will begin scheduling appointments next Tuesday, July 27, at 8 a.m. Appointments may be made by calling 706-678-9644. Office hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays and the office location is at 212 Hospital Drive, in the Georgia Pines Building just west of Dr. David Kirk’s office.

The Lincolnton office will be open as usual next week but will be closed the week of August 2-6 in order to accommodate the transition from Williams’ private practice to the CMA operation. However, appointments may be made during that week for office visits beginning the following Monday. Office hours will be from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays beginning August 9. The office will remain at 111 S. Washington Street and the telephone number will continue to be 706-359-4215.

“It is important to emphasize that the practice and its service to Lincoln County will remain unchanged,” Marvin Goldman, Wills Memorial CEO, said. Goldman further indicated that plans include adding a second physician at the Lincolnton location and two additional physicians in Washington.

By creating a provider-based physician practice group that will be owned and operated by the hospital, Wills Memorial will now be able to recruit doctors to “just be doctors” without having to worry about managing the business of a private practice.

“This project will serve to strengthen healthcare services in Lincoln and Wilkes Counties by giving us a better chance to recruit and retain physicians and other physician-assisted practitioners in an increasingly competitive environment,” Wills Memorial Hospital Authority chairman Lawrence Burton said, “but most importantly, we will continue to be able to provide for the healthcare needs of our citizens.”

“This has been a topic on our minds for quite some time,” Goldman said in announcing the opening of the offices. “Where can we get doctors?” He explained that there are fewer and fewer physicians looking for situations like what is available in Washington and Lincolnton. “Family practice people just aren’t out there much any more and we’re trying to develop a practice model that will accommodate the desires of available doctors,” he said.