Goshen Physicians Family Medicine hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 16, inside North Webster Community Center.
Pictured from left are Ryan Coverstone, North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber board member; Emily Worrell, executive director of NWCC; Randy Christophel, Goshen Health president and CEO; Dr. Chelsea Wolf; Dr. David Coil, Goshen Physicians medical director; Lydell Troyer, chief operating officer, D.J. Construction; and Jon Yoder, vice president, Goshen Physicians. Photo by Phoebe Muthart.

By Phoebe Muthart
Staff Writer

NORTH WEBSTER — Goshen Health celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 16 for the new Goshen Physicians Family Medicine location inside the North Webster Community Center.

The event included a tour of the new facility. Goshen Health President and CEO Randy Christophel and other key representatives spoke at the event.

Christophel said the new doctor’s office will help “improve the quality of health care of the community.”

“We are happy to be a part of the North Webster community,” he said.

He added that the North Webster location is one of 30 Goshen Health facilities in four counties.

“Dr. Wolf will do an excellent job taking care of 90% of the health needs of the communities, and when additional services are needed, she’s well integrated and coordinated and involved with the remainder of the other specialty services that we have throughout Goshen Health,” Christophel said.

Goshen Health is looking forward to being a more significant part of the community, Christophel noted, and part of the community’s health improvement.

Emily Worrell, NWCC executive director, said, “Our goal is to create a healthy lifestyle and provide preventative care, which is much needed,” she said. “It’s a huge step and it will make a lasting impact in our community. It’s legacy work. In 50 years to come, I hope they’re still here.”

A blessing was conducted by Rev. Donnie Johnson.

Goshen Physicians Vice President Jon Yoder said, “The mission of Goshen Health is to improve the health of our communities. We do this through partnerships, just like this, through a conversation that started with Emily Worrell and Kyla Wolferman and Emily McGowen. He added, “What does this look like to bring primary care to North Webster and right next to, right alongside everything you’re doing in the community center?’”

Yoder said they were “so excited for the ribbon cutting to mark the next chapter in the life of the center” and what it means to members of the North Webster community and the patients that the clinic will serve.

“In addition to improving the health of our community, we say we do that through exceptional people doing exceptional work,” Yoder said, before recognizing his colleagues, who helped bring the NWCC clinic to reality. In addition to McGowen and Wolferman, he named Goshen Physicians Practice Manager Shannon Perkins and the clinical staff, who will be the “boots on the ground” of the clinic’s staff.

“Today marks the day where the community of North Webster doesn’t just gain a nurse practitioner, a medical assistant, a PSR, today marks the day where the community of North Webster gains a whole health system — an army of doctors and nurses, primary care providers, specialists, who are all aligned behind our mission of improving the health of our communities and improving the health of this community in a new way today,” Yoder said.

Chelsea Wolf, D.O. is the provider for the North Webster practice. Wolf relocated from Goshen Physicians Family Medicine in Syracuse.

“I have enjoyed working here, and I am seeing more patients every day,” she said. “Primary care is a huge part of health care,” Wolf said, and her office is a gatekeeper. “We like to see people and evaluate them, and then if ever we can get our specialist colleagues involved to get the patient a higher level of care that they need, we, of course, do that.”

She is welcoming new patients; the first official day for the first appointments was Dec. 27.

The facility is 1,100 square feet and has three exam rooms as well as a phlebotomy room.

Future expansion plans include adding a procedure room and additional clinic space.

Goshen Physicians Family Medicine location is 301 N. Main St., Suite 121, North Webster.