GBMC Health Partners at Padonia Grand Opening

GBMC Health Partners is pleased to announce the opening of its newest location at the corner of York and Padonia Roads in Lutherville-Timonium! This brand-new, 14,000-square-foot space offers advanced primary care, gynecology, urogynecology, pelvic floor therapy, orthopaedics, and physical therapy services in a safe, comfortable, and patient-centered setting. This edition of ‘Greater Living Live,’ hosted by Mary Beth Marsden, gives a look into the practice through interviews with clinicians and video tours of the space.

The practice offers care from birth to end of life, explained primary care physician, Jonathon Hennessee, DO: “We truly feel like we can take care of the whole family.” Dr. Hennessee, who is passionate about sports medicine, talked about how staying active can improve overall health across all ages. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made that more challenging, he emphasized there are ways to remain active and stay safe. This is especially important for children because of their increased screen time from virtual learning. “Kids are spending all day at home in front of screens, but they need to move their bodies,” he stated. “It helps with emotional development, which is something that’s plaguing children right now – not being able to socialize in the ways they are intended to. It also helps with immune functioning, which can prevent infection in general.”

Nurse practitioner, Kelsey Terrones, CRNP, then joined the conversation to talk about how primary care has changed during the pandemic. The sudden shift to telehealth was a challenge for many, but GBMC had been working to make telehealth services available to patients for a year prior, and was able to quickly mobilize that infrastructure. While there has been a move back to in-person visits in recent months, telehealth remains a critical part of patient care. GBMC Health Partners at Padonia offers dedicated hours for telehealth visits and has a built-in space for providers to talk to their patients virtually. The practice also has many safety precautions in place for patients who prefer to come in-person. These include plexiglass barriers, temperature checks, mask requirements, and regular extensive cleaning.

Ms. Terrones also discussed the challenges of diagnosing COVID-19 due to its symptoms being similar to those of other diseases. “Patients will often have symptoms that could come from the flu, strep throat, COVID-19, or another respiratory illness,” she explained. “Testing is really key right now to know what is happening with the patient.” She encouraged patients to call their primary care provider if they feel ill for any reason to talk about their symptoms. “Going through everything the patient is experiencing will help the clinician know if testing is necessary and what testing is appropriate,” she said.

In addition to primary care, GBMC Health Partners at Padonia gives patients access to experts in various specialties. One of these experts is Joan Blomquist, MD, Chief of the Division of Urogynecology at GBMC and an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University. “From a GYN perspective, we’re fortunate that we’re able to see a couple of different subspecialty types of patients here,” she said. “We offer primary GYN care, treatments for advanced gynecologic conditions such as chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, and fibroids, as well as urogynecology services.” Dr. Blomquist explained that pelvic floor disorders occur in at least one third of women at some point in their lives. She described the common types of urinary incontinence, the kinds of treatments available, and when to seek help from a healthcare provider. The conversation ended with her saying “This is a beautiful place, and I can tell you that patients absolutely love coming here.”

To learn more about GBMC Health Partners at Padonia, visit www.gbmc.org/padonia. If you’d like to make an appointment, please call the practice at 443-589-5252.