October 08, 2007

Turlock, As the new Emanuel Physician Center opens today, Monday, October 8^th, the hospital realizes a long-term goal to bring more primary healthcare services to residents who currently do not have a physician in Turlock and nearby communities. 

The new center is located at 2121 Colorado Avenue, Suite C near Emanuel Medical Center and is a hospital-operated and managed program. The Emanuel Physician Center will be run as a typical physician office and patients will have easy access to the laboratory, imaging and other hospital services.

“Emanuel’s mission is to bring high quality services to our community,” stated John Sigsbury, CEO and President. “The Physician Center will provide a full array of family practice and preventive medicine services for all ages.” 

Emanuel’s records show that as many as 40 percent of its Emergency Department patients do not have a primary care physician. The Physician Center will provide Emanuel with the opportunity to offer another local place for people to come when they need to see a doctor. 

“We know there is a big need for families to establish themselves with a primary care physician,” Sigsbury adds. “With many offices not accepting new patients or patients having to wait weeks or months to get an appointment, the community need speaks for itself. Many people go without care, have to drive long distances or end up in the Emergency Department because access to office care is difficult.” 

The center will accept a broad number of commercial insurance plans companies and also provide services to Medi-Cal and Medicare patients. Similar centers are currently operating in conjunction with hospitals in Lodi, Placerville and other California towns.    

Family Practice physician Edmond Ghahramani, M.D., has been named as the center’s first staff doctor. Dr. Ghahramani recently graduated from the Family Practice Residency Program of Emanuel’s sister hospital, Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago.  

“I believe one cornerstone of an effective healthcare system is a good primary care clinic, providing services like examinations, treatment, education, preventative care and referrals when necessary.  At the Emanuel Physician Center, our goal is to ensure to the best of our abilities that all residents in our area have access to proper healthcare” he said. 

Dr. Ghahramani, an Assyrian and Iranian native, has been an assistant research physician for Cook County Hospital in Chicago, for Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., and for Western Michigan University. He speaks Persian and Turkish in addition to English and Assyrian. 

Appointments at the Emanuel Physician Center can be made by calling (209) 664-5175.