MAY 9-15, 2013
THE CENTRE COUNTY GAZETTE
PAGE 5 Mayor, from page 1
CHRIS MORELLI/The Gazette
GEISINGER CAREWORKS officially opened its doors on May 3. The walk-in clinic is located on Buckaroo Lane, right next to Weis Market. Careworks, from page 1 built on keeping care in the community so people have a place to go close to home, seven days a week. We’ll have care in the evenings, care on the weekends. They won’t have to go to the emergency room, so we can reduce costs. The employers can’t afford it and the patients can’t afford it.� The facility is the first of its kind in Bellefonte. And just because it has the Geisinger name doesn’t mean that patients have to be a part of the Geisinger health plan to make use of the facility. “We bill all insurance. We take Medicare, Medicaid, all insurances. We offer a cash discount for people who don’t have insurance,� Nungesser said. “We’ve developed the lowest-cost model in all of Pennsylvania so everyone has access to care.� Although the facility won’t be able to do certain things, such as X-rays or casts, the physicians at Careworks can get the ball rolling on those sorts of treatments. “All of the results from their visit will get sent to their primary care doctor. This is designed not to be a medical home, but to be an extension of their medical home when they can’t get in to see their doctor,� Nungesser explained. The idea behind Careworks, according to Nungesser, is to eliminate unnecessary trips to the ER. “This will be about a 10th as expensive as an emergency room visit,� Nungesser said. “Primary care co-pays are inexpensive. People can come here for about $20.� As for the location, Nungesser couldn’t be happier. He said that having Weis right next door will be extremely convenient for patients. “It’s huge. About two-thirds of the people who come to a facility like this come because they have a need for a prescription. Not having a place to get your prescription filled is a problem. We wanted to design it around one-stop
shopping and convenience,� he said. “We can e-prescribe it over to the (Weis) pharmacy. They can get in and out of here in about 20 minutes. This whole thing is designed to get patients back into their personal lives as soon as possible.� A Careworks is slated to open in State College in June. “We’re going to have 26 Careworks by fall throughout the Geisinger service area,� Nungesser said. Geisinger Careworks is open seven days a week. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and select holidays. For more information, visit www.careworkshealth.com, stop by at 174 Buckaroo Lane in Bellefonte or call (814) 353-1030.
SPRING RUN U MINI GOLF OF PLEASA ANT GA AP DUE TO DGE REP PA AIR ON KROUT K LANE, SPRING RUN MINI GOLF WILL NOT BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS THIS SEASON
higher returns on investments, (though energy price swings can make this a two-way street) or creation of new jobs, business opportunities and tax revenues,� he said. “For instance, State College received over $32,800 in shale well impact fees for use in infrastructure improvement or environmental projects, and Centre County received $660,181.7. We have to keep in mind that the economic benefits must be balanced by protecting the environment.� Yoxtheimer said there are many studies that show potential correlation between greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, and a rise in global temperatures. “I think it is difficult to refute that humans’ use of fossil fuels is impacting the climate,� he said. Yoxtheimer said recent data by the Energy Information Administration show that CO2 emissions from power generation in the United States are at a 20-year low due to displacement of coal with natural gas, which emits 45 percent less CO2. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s air quality is improving by removing tons of pollutants that would otherwise be emitted by coal, he said. “Though we must be careful with fugitive emissions of methane since it is a potent greenhouse gas itself,� Yoxtheimer said. The State College area has benefited from natural gas in a variety of ways, he said, including running the CATA buses for many years. “There are local economic impacts by having energy companies such as Rex Energy and Eclipse Resources which are sustaining local jobs, (and) construction companies like Hawbaker and HRI, (which) conduct work in the field.� Additionally, Yoxtheimer said, “Local engineering and environmental firms (are) making sure the industry operates within the regulations to ensure any negative impacts are minimized.� Yoxtheimer, a hydrogeologist who conducts research on water and environmental impacts associated with shale energy development, said some of his current projects include research on methane migration into groundwater, and water management and waste disposal practices. State College Borough Manager Thomas J. Fountaine was not available for comment as of press time. The other mayors who have endorsed divesting from fossil fuel companies are from Madison, Wis.; Bayfield, Wis.; Ithaca, N.Y.; Boulder, Colo.; Eugene, Ore.; Richmond, Calif.; Berkeley, Calif.; San Francisco, and Seattle, according to the Associated Press.
To advertise in The Gazette, call (814) 238-5051 or email sales@centrecountygazette.com
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