Methodist Hospitals is happy to announce that its new CareFirst facility is now open and ready to see patients. Located at 1781 W. Morthland Drive in Valparaiso, Ind., this location brings a one-stop source for convenient and high quality outpatient care to the area, offering an Immediate Care Center, a Family Practice physician office and specialty care, including Orthopedics, Podiatry, Cardiology and Neurology.
With three CareFirst locations in Lake County, adding a fourth in Valparaiso makes it more convenient for patients living in the Porter County area.
“It's a nice expansion for Methodist,” said Nurse Practitioner Julijana Obetkovska. “This is a fresh, new, beautiful office. A number of Methodist nurses and medical staff live in the area, as well as many patients. Having this new location is a great opportunity for Methodist.”
The Immediate Care Center is able to see customers on a walk-in basis, with no appointment needed, and is able to care for patients involving a variety of health concerns ranging from headaches and ear infections to pink eye, pregnancy tests, sport physicals, upper respiratory infections, and much more.
“It is fast: in-and-out. The nice thing is that you don't need an appointment. You just walk in to be seen and get taken care of. It’s beneficial especially now in these days when everything is instant. In a sense, what we offer is similar to drive-through healthcare,” Obetkovska said. Obetkovska is one of several staff members to join the team at the Immediate Care Center.
If a patient needs additional care, a quick and easy referral can be made to Dr. Jonathan Ramos or to one of the several specialists who will see patients at the Valparaiso facility.
Dr. Ramos, an associate of Dr. Mary Tilak and Associates has moved his family practice to the Methodist Valparaiso CareFirst facility. Originally from Crown Point, he is looking forward to seeing a new set of patients in Porter County.
“I've been a family medicine physician in practice for several years now. Recently I came to the Valpo area, and I’m excited to get my practice started here,” he said.
Ramos is very patient-centered and enjoys both treating them and working with them to find the best possible ways to help manage their health.
“I like to collaborate with patients and focus on preventative care. I really try to focus on ways that we can help patients take care of themselves through education and teamwork,” he said.
Ramos said he has always enjoyed working in the Region and knew he wanted to stay in the area to continue his work. He says it's an honor to serve the community he grew up in and sees it as his way to give back to those who’ve helped him over the years.
“I grew up here in Crown Point, Indiana, and Northwest Indianais very close to my heart,” he said. “I like to try and make an impact on the people that I've grown up with and I really like practicing here in the community with my patients, friends, and family. I have a lot of patients in mind that are from the surrounding Region that I've grown up with and who have helped take care of me when I grew up. So now this is my chance to give back to the community. ”
In addition, many of Ramos’ family members work in healthcare, an aspect he finds fascinating as well and has added to his passion of helping people.
“My family has also been part of the Region and its medical community for many years. My parents are physicians in the area as well as my wife. She's also practicing family medicine and geriatrics in the area, so we try to provide as much comprehensive care as possible to the community, and it's been a pleasure,” he said.
Specialists joining Ramos, Obetkovska, and the Valparaiso team include Alfred Bonjean, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, Podiatrist Bruce Brincko, DPM, Neurologist William Conte, MD, MS, and Cardiologist Thach Nguyen, MD.
For more information on Methodist Hospitals, visit https://methodisthospitals.org/.
