Cowden Family Care Clinic will hold a dedication on Saturday, July 15 with ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:45 p.m. and open house from 2-4:00 p.m. “We are really happy about this,” said Cowden Village Mayor Loren Barnes. “Cowden Family Care will be a welcome addition to our community. We will have admitting doctors from Taylorville, Effingham, and Shelbyville if patients need hospitalization or further care.” Cowden Family Care is a satellite clinic of Taylorville Family Care.

Dr. Leslie K. Jackson, of Taylorville Family Care will be the primary physician. The office manager will be Jeannie Shanks. Nurse Practitioner, Cindy Rich of Herrick, will be accompanied by L.P.N. Sandy Heiserman, also of Herrick. Rich and Heiserman are employed by Taylorville Family Care and will initially be at Cowden Family Care on a part-time basis. “As soon as they can replace us here at the Taylorville clinic, we will go full time in Cowden,” said Rich.

Cowden Family Care will also have access to an OB/GYN physician, Dr. Robert Frost, from Altamont Clinic. Frost will also make periodic visits to the Cowden Clinic.

A special benefit to Caterpillar employees, Dr. Jackson is a member physician of the Caterpillar Medical Network. “We have a lot of Caterpillar employees in this area who will be glad to hear that,” added Barnes.

Cowden Family Care will assume the offices formerly occupied by Cowden Community Medical Centers, at 209 East Elm St. The former medical offices have been vacant since February 2005.

Initially, Dr. Jackson will be in the Cowden Clinic once a month. Rich and Heiserman will be in the Cowden office every Monday and Tuesday from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. On Fridays, the clinic will be open half-days and some whole days to begin with. “As the patient load increases, so will the operating hours of the clinic. Soon we will go full-time,” added Rich.

All admitting doctors will be on hand at the grand opening, and area residents are encouraged to come out and meet them personally on Saturday.