Patients Keep Business Close to Home to Save

By Angie Kinsey, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

Aug. 5–Office Manager Sheila Hales has made frequent trips to the basement of the Clinton Clinic to look up the records of patients she hasn’t seen in years. Until recently.

Hales believes old and new patients alike are filling up local waiting rooms because filling up at the tank has left them with fewer options. Rising gas prices are keeping folks close to home, even if means visiting local doctors’ offices and clinics rather than regional medical hubs like Paducah and Mayfield, Hales said.

"They are even getting to the point where they don’t want to drive to Fulton," Hales said. "Some on Medicaid are changing their medical card back to us."

The clinic, operated by Parkway Regional Hospital in Fulton, staffs two doctors and a nurse practitioner and has a lab.

"Everything is right here that they need," Hales said. "Our gas is even cheaper here. I hate that we have these high gas prices, but I can see a change in our business. I’m even catching myself not going out of town as much. I can tell a difference at the grocery store. People are shopping more at home."

Belinda Bass, an employee at Rumfelt Drug Co. in Hickman, hears customers gripe about gas prices all the time. She said people are going to local doctors instead of driving an hour to Paducah or Jackson, Tenn., and then having their prescriptions filled at Rumfelt.

"They don’t even want to drive to Union City (Tenn.) or Fulton to get anything, and that’s a 15-minute drive," she said. "They try to get all their things in a bunch, instead of driving here and there."

The Ballard County Medical Clinic opened May 1 and is starting to attract some of the late Dr. Charlene Robinson’s patients. Robinson’s clinic used to be at the same location on U.S. 60 in downtown Barlow.

"We have patients that say we’re so glad you’re here," family nurse practitioner Paula Owen Melton said. "We’re unique because we’re linked to a big group in Paducah (Jackson Purchase Medical Associates). JPMA patients typically get their labs one day and have their appointments on other days. They can come here and save a trip to Paducah.

"We’re seeing an average of 10 to 15 patients a day. We hope to get to 25 to 30. Some of them simply can’t afford to drive to Paducah so they’re choosing to go to another practice."

Dean Collier of La Center has brought his 17-year-old daughter, Kimberly, to the clinic several times.

"I think this place definitely helps Ballard County," Collier said. "There’s a pharmacy right there in La Center. If you can get something local, you can save money buying local things like that, especially since (gas is) nearing $4 a gallon."

Wendy Renfrow, pharmacist at Sutton Drugs in La Center, said she’s noticed change in customers in the store the past few months.

"We’ve seen new faces and old faces, too, whom we used to see," Renfrow said. "They’re coming back, too, because of gas prices. The clinic in Barlow has really helped a whole lot. I think it’s a combination of both. I know it helps a lot of people to get their medicine and not have to drive all the way to town (Paducah)."

Arlington Pharmacy pharmacist Gretchen Wilson and clerk Barbara Sue Wilson, who are not related, have seen business pick up at the Carlisle County store. They have even started carpooling from Graves County to save gas money.

"We’ve had a lot of people call and transfer their prescriptions," Barbara Sue Wilson said. "They don’t want to drive to Paducah, Mayfield and Fulton."

Customer Joann Draper of Cunningham, whose family owns six cars, said she saves money shopping in Carlisle County. Recently, gas at two stations in Arlington was 5 to 10 cents cheaper than in Paducah.

"I could have gone to Paducah, but gas is cheaper here," Draper said. "It’s better to make one trip, instead of running here and running there."

Angie Kinsey can be contacted at 575-8657.

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