Seton Highland Lakes opens Lampasas clinic
By DAVID LOWE Staff Writer

PHOTO BY DAVID LOWE Seton Lampasas Healthcare Center now offers family practice and weekly care from a variety of specialists. Celebrating the opening of the Lampasas facility are, from left, Dr. Michael Franz, medical director of Seton Highland Lakes Health System clinics; Kathy Schreiber, clinical manager; Denise Watson, director of home care and clinic services for Seton Highland Lakes Health System; patient access representative Dori Adams; clinic nurse Anna Nielsen; Pat Roper, certified physician assistant; and medical assistant Leslie Ray.

Lampasans now have another source of medical services, as Seton Lampasas Healthcare Center has opened at 1205 Central Texas Expressway.

Part of Seton Highland Lakes Health System, the Lampasas Healthcare Center offers full-time family practice and part-time specialty care in gynecology, uro-gynecology and pediatrics.

Seton Highland Lakes also operates healthcare centers in Bertram, Burnet and Marble Falls. The latter, a 10,000-square-foot facility, features the only digital mammography unit in the Highland Lakes area.

Seton Highland Lakes Hospital in Burnet offers a 24-hour-a-day Level 4 Trauma Center emergency room, three operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a pediatric mobile van that travels to schools to provide children with medical services.

Seton plans to add outpatient physical therapy in Lampasas by the end of the year, said Denise Watson, director of home care and clinic services for Seton Highland Lakes Health System.

"We're going to try to offer as many specialists in Lampasas as we can," Ms. Watson said.

After receiving an increasing number of Lampasas patients at its Burnet Healthcare Center, Seton decided to move into the remodeled 6,000- square-foot building that houses its Lampasas facility.

"I know the [Lampasas] area is growing," Ms. Watson said. "We just want to offer our services to those people."

By bringing visiting specialists to Lampasas, Seton allows patients to receive advanced care without the time and gas expenses of driving to larger medical centers in Killeen, Austin, Temple or Waco, Ms. Watson said.

"It's terribly important to have access to as many specialists as possible," she said. "Our rural counties are medically underserved and health professional shortage areas."

Children and geriatric patients, who constitute a large portion of Seton's clients, especially benefit from quick access to specialty care, Ms. Watson said. "It makes a big difference for both ends of that spectrum," she said.

Seton Lampasas Healthcare Center employs a physician assistant, two medical assistants, two nurses and one receptionist and is seeking a physical therapist and a lab technician.

The healthcare center has joined the Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce and tries to hire qualified local residents. "It's important to hire people from your community," Ms. Watson said. "We want to be a good member of your community."

Seton Lampasas Healthcare Center accepts most health insurance except for Scott & White. Patients with insurance questions should phone the Lampasas Healthcare Center at 556-5362.

The Lampasas care center will offer an open house Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will include free cholesterol and glucose screenings, which will be limited because of time constraints, and growth charts and face painting for children.