It’s back

EDITORIAL

The re-opening of Rockdale’s Main Street medical clinic is, of course, fantastically great news on so many levels.

Thanks to Dr. Jeremiah Havins for accepting the challenge of restoring some form of medical care to our community after the sad events of the first weekend in December when Little River Healthcare finally succumbed and closed its facilities here, there and everywhere.

Thanks also to Dr. John M. Weed III, the living legend who has been the heart and soul of Rock-dale’s medical community for many decades.

Dr. Weed, of course, won’t claim any credit for the role he has played in getting health care back, so we will claim it for him. It’s very doubtful the events of last week would have happened without his leadership, expertise and caring about his community.

The facility, which has been re-christened Rockdale Medical Clinic, won’t be quite the same as the former Little River Medical Clinic. It will provide primary care for patients 12 and over and will offer cardiology and other services provided by Dr. Havins.

He’s a cardiologist and practiced in Rockdale before the tsunami of Dec. 4.

And only half the clinic building will be open now, about 2,000 square feet.

But the bottom line is that Rockdale residents, who have been wondering for the past two months, where they were could see a physician and get prescriptions prescribed or refilled now can do that at home, again.

In addition to Dr. Havins, the clinic will be staffed by Nurse-Practitioner Terry Buchanan, who used to practice in Rockdale.

And everyone involved hopes that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The other half of the Main Street clinic building could accommodate specialists, much as it used to do. And Rockdale has a history of specialists coming here one, two or more days a week.

Of course details on that would have to be worked out. But Dr. Havins has opened the door for anyone who wants to step through it.

What about the clinic buildings at the hospital?

That’s a new ball game with different teams. The Rockdale Hospital District is definitely interested in opening those again to someone, but the dynamic isn’t the same. Everything there would have to be filtered through the complex Little River bankruptcy proceedings and satisfy those many creditors.

However, you’d have to think someone leasing those buildings, and generating some revenue for those creditors, would be something that would get their blessing, if things can be worked out.

The hospital, however, is a different story. Unless there’s something below the horizon which nobody sees at the moment, it doesn’t appear reopening is imminent any time soon.

Still, stranger things have happened.

But the bottom line is this. Just look back to Dec. 4 and think how we all felt.

Things aren’t perfect now. But they’re better.—M.B.