Oak Orchard Health committed to providing health care at Medina site, without negative impact on neighbors

Posted 9 December 2021 at 12:07 pm

Editor:

This letter is in response to one recently submitted by concerned neighbors, Sharon Cassidy and Pamela Cook, in regards to an out-of-town organization from western New York who has purchased a private medical doctor’s office on West Center Street and Florence Avenue in their residential neighborhood.

When Dr. Surinder Bath was approaching retirement, discussions began on how we can best continue to serve the patients that had been under his care. Dr. Bath was truly concerned about what would happen to his patients once he retired. That is where Oak Orchard Health (OOH) came into play.

Dr. Bath liked the integrated model of care that OOH provides, where primary care, behavioral health, vision, dental, and supporting services are all provided under the umbrella of one organization. OOH provides care to patients who are fully insured as well as those with limited medical insurance. OOH provides care to all members of the community, from birth to geriatrics, and does so with skill and compassion.

At this point, OOH does not intend to significantly vary how we provide medical care at Dr. Bath’s former office. Michelle Okonieczny, NP, a member of the Medina community, will be the primary provider practicing there. Michelle lives only a few short blocks from the office, and has a vested stake in the neighborhood.

The two support staff who previously worked with Dr. Bath will continue working with OOH – so patients will experience the same familiar faces in the same familiar setting. Dr. Bath decided to sell to OOH because he thought this was the best way to take care of his patients and to continue to serve the community.

OOH does not intend to expand the size of the office, but will be making some regulatory as well as cosmetic improvements to the facility. We too, are concerned with preserving the aesthetics of the neighborhood, and will make every effort to add to it rather than distract.

Any additional services that the patients of the community may desire can be provided from one of our several other office locations that are situated throughout western New York. OOH remains dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of the patients and communities we serve. We value the concerns of all stakeholders and welcome this opportunity to ease the fears some may have.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO

Oak Orchard Health