ROCKY MOUNT (WSLS 10) - A new pediatric center opens to fill a void in Rocky Mount.
Carilion decided to open up a pediatric clinic after the only pediatrician in town retired more than a year ago.
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Jennifer Lata had to drive to Roanoke or Westlake to see a pediatrician. More than 3,000 patients were impacted.
"I couldn't believe it," says Lata. "Not having anything close was very challenging. It was worry some especially if they need treatment soon to make that long trip."
Dr. Kathryn Self is the pediatrician for the new office.
"I knew of the void in the community so I was excited when this opportunity came up to provide care in this area," says Self.
While Dr. Self is the only pediatrician in town, it's not expected to be that way for long. Carilion's chair of department of pediatrics says they're looking to expand.
"My hope is that this practice will probably have three pediatric providers at some point, but I don't know how soon that will be we're just going to add one at a time," says Alice Ackerman.
Carilion is spreading the word about the new office through marketing efforts but plans on holding an open house for the community sometime in March.