GBMC Extends Primary Care Services with Padonia Plus

When you have a healthcare need that isn’t an emergency, but your primary care doctor is unavailable for an appointment right away, it can be a challenge to figure out where to turn. For patients who get their care at a GBMC Health Partners advanced primary care practice, another solution is now available with Padonia Plus.

A standalone urgent care facility won’t have your medical records at their fingertips and a trip to the Emergency Department (ED) could result in long wait times, especially during COVID-19 surges that overwhelm the system. Padonia Plus allows patients to see a GBMC provider who can access their medical record, message their regular provider, and even make follow-up appointments, if needed.

“The ED is not a great place for patients if they don’t really need to be there because the wait can be long and it’s expensive,” said Jon Hennessee, DO, lead provider at Padonia Plus and primary care physician at GBMC Health Partners Primary Care—Padonia. “The downside in going to an urgent care facility is those providers don’t know you or your primary care doctor or have access to your information. We feel like patients are better served coming to Padonia Plus if they have an acute need but cannot get in to see their primary doctor.”

GBMC’s vision is to treat every patient, every time as we would our own loved ones. Providers at GBMC want patients to experience a full continuum of care tailored to their needs.

Certified nurse practitioners Florence Gichaiya, CRNP, and LaShanda Roberts, FNP-BC, see patients at Padonia Plus from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, except on Wednesdays, when the office opens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Padonia Plus is in the same building as GBMC Health Partners Primary Care—Padonia at 63 E. Padonia Road in Lutherville.

If patients think they need to see a doctor, the first step, according to Dr. Hennessee, is to call your primary care office.

“People don’t need to go to the ED for a broken arm, for instance,” Dr. Hennessee said. “You can come to GBMC Health Partners Padonia, or Padonia Plus, get an X-ray, and we can help you get an appointment with orthopedics, if needed.”

There are no specialty services available at Padonia Plus currently, but adding certain ones is a long-term goal for the practice. For now, in addition to traditional primary care services, patients have access to X-rays or labs, if needed.

“We want to get patients the best, efficient care,” Dr. Hennessee said. “At GBMC, we want this to feel like an extension of primary care. Just like your regular doctor, a provider at Padonia Plus will speak to you about options and decide with you what the best course of action is.”