Oakland FMC Schedules Open House Nov. 7

The public is invited to attend an open house at the new Family Medical Center in Oakland on Monday, November 7, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The clinic is located at 5 S. Walnut Street in Oakland, just southwest of the square and near The Oaks Manor senior living facility.

Attendees can meet the clinic staff and enjoy free refreshments. The clinic is owned and operated by Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center, which also has clinics in Paris and Chrisman, as well as Senior Care and Paris Community Hospital in Paris.

“We’re excited about having a Family Medical Center that directly serves the Oakland area,” said Oliver Smith, PCH/FMC president & CEO. “We have wanted to have a clinic in Oakland for a long time and all the pieces finally came together.”

The Oakland Family Medical Center officially opened October 3. Providers include Dr. Arun Bajaj, who operated his own clinic in Oakland for many years, and Casey Anderson, family nurse practitioner, of Newman. The staff also includes Carrie VonLanken, licensed practical nurse, of Oakland; Cayla McGregor, licensed practical nurse, of Oakland; and Lisa McCollum, office coordinator, of Oakland.

Dr. Bajaj earned his medical degree from Government Medical College in India. He did his surgical residency at St. Alexis Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Before he practiced in the US, he had a master’s degree in surgery from India and a fellowship from Royal College of Surgeons UK. Dr. Bajaj served as the only physician in Oakland for 25 years before moving his practice to Charleston in 2006.

Anderson earned her degree as a family nurse practitioner from the University of Cincinnati. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Lakeview College of Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern Illinois University. Prior to PCH/FMC, she worked as a registered nurse in the medical/surgical and pediatric units at Presence Hospital in Urbana.

The Oakland Family Medical Center is a primary care clinic that treats chronic and acute conditions. It accepts patients of all ages with same-day appointments available. Patients should come early to their first appointment, as it takes time to enter information into the new electronic health record system. They should also bring their insurance card.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday, with appointments from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The phone number is (217) 346-2353.