Brenda Sciranka works behind the scene at Bluffton Hospital. It’s a big scene.

As director of specialty practices for Blanchard Valley Medical Practices she play an important role in Bluffton Hospital’s specialty clinic as it attracts patients to Bluffton.

For a small town hospital, those services are many. In a recent 12-month period, the clinic had drawn 1,300 patients to Bluffton Hospital.

They include:
• Hematology and oncology
• Cardiology
• Orthopedics
• Surgery
• Ear, nose and throa|
• And, coming soon to Bluffton Hospital, Gastroenterology.

Bottom line: Many people may not realize the array of medical services offered by Bluffton Hospital.

The Icon caught up with Brenda, who lives in Lima, at a 7 a.m. meeting in Bluffton, where she planned to stop in and say hello to medical staff members at the clinic. Following that she was off to Findlay for the day. She generally is in Bluffton at least one-half day each week.

“Part of my role is helping with strategic planning,” she said. That means as heath care needs change – it happens constantly – she sees that needs at Bluffton Hospital continue to be addressed.

“We (in Bluffton Hospital) have a great group of health providers,” she said. Adding that many medical-related services can be handled in Bluffton specialty clinic, located on the hospital’s second floor.

The list of specialty clinics offered in Bluffton area available to persons by simply scheduling an appointment here or through a doctor’s referral.

Bluffton Hospital’s specialty clinic physicians have offices in Findlay. They come to Bluffton weekly. According to Brenda, the Bluffton Hospital clinic draws persons from many communities around Bluffton. Those include, but are not limited to, Bluffton, Lima, Ada, Ottawa, Pandora and Findlay.

“I work with a great team of medical professionals to make it all come together,” she said. “There’s a lot of coordination required.”

An appointment at Bluffton’s specialty clinic is similar to one with a general practitioner.

Once an appointment is set and the patient visits the Bluffton  Hospital clinic, the  following takes place:
• insurance information is gathered
• a clinic staff member records patient’s vital signs, entering them into the hospital’s Electronic Medical Records system (EMR)
• the clinic staff member reviews with the patient medical concerns and questions
• the specialty clinic physician meets the patient and reviews the patient’s needs and care plan, making appropriate next steps
• the clinic staff member reviews the visit with the patient
• the appointment ends

Physicians with clinics at Bluffton Hospital

• Cardiology Associates
   Mike Denike, MD|
• Blanchard Valley Orthopedics
   James Davison, MD
   Katie Fultz, PAC
• Ear, Nose, Throat
   Vincent McGinnis, MD
   Yvonne Gayhart, PAC
• Hematology and Oncology
   Henry Gerad, MD
• Wound Care
   Michael Manuel, MD

Beginning this month

• GI Associates of Northwest Ohio
   Vivian Chidi, MD
   Brenda Keller, CNP
• Surgical Associates of Northwest Ohio
   Jessica Reynolds, MD