Optim Healthcare held a ribbon-cutting Thursday at its new Hinesville location, in the Central Station shopping center on Veterans Parkway.
Optim Healthcare is a collaboration of Optim Orthopedics and Optim Medical Center-Tattnall. Its health-care services include orthopedics, pain management and neurosurgery.
Liberty County Chamber of Commerce representatives, local business owners, Optim employees and physicians gathered inside the office to hear short speeches and introductions of the physicians.
The Hinesville Optim Healthcare office staffs four medical doctors, two physician assistants and two nurse practitioners. Local real-estate agent Kathy Villafane and Hasit Patel, owner of La Quinta Inn and Suites in Flemington, congratulated Optim employees and wished them success.
Optim Medical Center-Tattnall CEO Rob Snipes cut the ribbon outside to cheers.
Optim Healthcare started with a group of about 20 orthopedic physicians in Savannah. The group, known then as South Georgia Orthopedic Center, according to Snipes, purchased a hospital in Tattnall County, which allowed it to perform inpatient treatment. Snipes said the group grew, and Optim Healthcare now has 50 satellite locations and three hospitals — in Tattnall, Jenkins and Screven counties.
In Hinesville, Optim Healthcare used to be in the medical office building at Liberty Regional Medical Center.
“We needed additional room,” Snipes said. “We moved to this area and have more treatment rooms, which allows us to run two clinics at one time with two different physicians.”
He said it was important to stay in the Hinesville area.
“We’re in a lot of the smaller communities, and we want to provide a good community service,” Snipes said. “We want to be a part of the community and we want to treat people with high quality, and that’s why we’re here.”
Dr. John George, who specializes in sports medicine, said Optim continues to partner with rural hospitals. He thinks Optim will complement LRMC well in treating local residents, reducing their need to travel for care.
Optim also works with the doctors on Fort Stewart, George said.
He said one of his proudest moments as an orthopedic doctor was talking on the phone “with the troops in the field when they had somebody over there who was blown up, and they were asking us to help them expedite the treatment. Then they came here, and we took care of him.”
Optim has a TRICARE program for retired service members and their families, George said. He added that Optim is open to implementing other programs, and the office wants to “give our veterans and veterans’ families the service they deserve.”
LRMC CEO Michael Hester was previously the CEO of Optim Medical Center-Tattnall. George said Optim is committed to maintaining a relationship with Hester and will partner with the Liberty Regional in supporting the local community.
The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.