Patient Access to Services Grows as Experienced Provider Joins Local Team
Carthage Area Hospital began seeing patients this month in its new neurosurgical clinic in the Carthage Professional Building, 3 Bridge St., providing local residents with expanded access to care and welcoming an experienced neurosurgical provider to its team.
The Carthage Area Hospital Neurosurgical Clinic, co-located with the hospital’s urology clinic, began operations Dec. 11, with veteran neurosurgical provider Jeffrey Smith, R-PAC, seeing patients locally each Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Smith previously saw patients in Watertown. The clinic is in collaboration with the Upstate Brain and Spine Center, Syracuse.
“We are pleased that a well-known, respected local provider has joined our team to offer this additional outpatient service,” said Rich Duvall, Carthage Area Hospital chief executive officer. “Local residents can now avoid the stress of travel for pre- and post-operative neurosurgical care in experienced, compassionate hands.”
In addition to new patient visits and pre- and post-operative care, neck, back and spine pain are among common conditions Smith will treat in the clinic. Smith will also review patients to determine a course of treatment, up to and including surgery. If surgery is recommended, patients are scheduled and referred to the neurosurgical team at Upstate Brain and Spine.
“Our ultimate goal is to offer conservative measures before surgery. A local clinic setting is a convenient, less stressful environment where patients can be thoroughly evaluated for the best course of treatment,” Smith said. “I am excited to join a great team and bring a needed service to the region.”
The surgical clinic participates with most insurance programs, including Workers Compensation and No-Fault, TRICARE, Martin’s Point, Medicare and Medicaid. Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, beginning Jan. 8. As the clinic grows, Smith anticipates a second day for patient care in Carthage. Call (315) 519-5990 for information how to obtain a referral to the Carthage Area Hospital Neurosurgical Clinic.
Carthage Area Hospital Neurosurgical Clinic Providers
Jeffrey Smith, R-PAC, is a Watertown native who has worked in the medical field as a paramedic and physician assistant for more than 25 years. He is married to Milly Smith, a physician assistant who, since 2006, has owned and operated QuikMed Urgent Care in Watertown.
Smith completed his undergraduate education at SUNY Albany and is a 2004 graduate of the Physician Assistant Program at LeMoyne College, Syracuse. He has practiced with Upstate Brain and Spine, Syracuse, since 2013 and previously was a member of the team at Owen & Krawchenko Neurosurgeons, Watertown.
Smith and his wife have four children: Carlos, 24, who lives in Thailand where he teaches English and mathematics; Estevan, 15, a sophomore at Watertown High School; Iliana, 13, an eighth-grader at Case Middle School and Neicia, 10, a sixth-grade student at Wiley Elementary School. Smith is also a veteran of local politics, having served a 12 years as a Watertown City Councilman and a previously as a member of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors.
Licensed Practical Nurse Patti A. Shaughnessy joins Smith in practice at the Neurosurgical Clinic.
About Carthage Area Hospital
Carthage Area Hospital was established as a not-for-profit rural community hospital in 1965. It operates today as a fully accredited 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, serving approximately 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis and southern St. Lawrence counties.
The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic and Women’s Way to Wellness and provides a range of specialty care, including general surgery, neurosurgical, orthopedics, urology, physical therapy and behavioral health. Visit carthagehospital.com to learn more.