New Mercy Clinic opens with ribbon cutting

A new medical center opened its doors last week in Pea Ridge.

City officials, business leaders and Mercy staff attended a blessing ceremony, ribbon cutting and tour of the new facilities Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The new 7,400-square-foot primary care clinic in Pea Ridge officially opened Thursday, Sept. 14.

The lab was dedicated to the memory of one of Pea Ridge's own -- Mary Margaret Webb, a former lab technician in the clinic of Dr. Steve Goss. Her daughter, Lisa Webb Crowder, and husband, Kent Webb, were on hand for the dedication.

"It's a special privilege for me to make this recognition today," Goss, president of Mercy, said.

"Mary Margaret claimed she raised me ... she was a great lab and X-ray technician, but she was a lot more than that. She was a marketer, an efficiency expert and she actually repaired our equipment most of the time.

"She was a passionate patient advocate; she was a wise counselor; she was a giving community member, a loyal friend; and she was a loving wife, mother and grandmother."

Mercy Clinic Primary Care, Pea Ridge, will house two providers, a physician and nurse practitioner, and feature 14 examination rooms.

Physician Dr. Matthew Jennings brings more than two decades of experience to the clinic, including multiple years in family practice, emergency medicine and urgent care, and has served in numerous medical supervisory roles. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Jennings earned his M.D. from Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. He served as both a combat surgeon and family practice physician during his time on active duty.

As he was practicing family medicine over the years, Jennings also worked in a hospital emergency room. Providing health care in both settings keeps his skills sharp and infinitely improves his day-to-day practice, he said.

"In family medicine, we still do acute care, because some people who walk in are having an emergency," he said. "In emergency rooms, we develop more of that instinct to quickly recognize conditions. I can put both together to know when I can treat a patient and when they need more help than I can give. Knowing your limits is one important piece of family medicine."

Just 2 percent of students at the military academy are accepted to medical school. Interviewers asked Jennings why he would attend a leadership academy if he wanted to be a physician. His answer was that it takes an exceptional leader to influence an individual, in a short time, to make health changes.

"I have a 15-minute appointment to make an impact," he said. "If I don't gain trust, demonstrate my knowledge and convey information about their situation in that short time, then I've lost them. I have failed as a leader. In medicine, leadership is being able to guide people so that they can be better."

Jennings' military service included family practice at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Fort Bragg, N.C. He also served as a battalion surgeon with the 82nd Airborne Division during the invasion and initial occupation of Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions.

Jennings said Pea Ridge is an ideal place for him to establish a family medicine practice. It's a small town that seems to radiate what he calls "hometown America," where people know and care about each other.

"Most of my practice has been in small, rural communities. I like to feel that I'm a part of the community as opposed to someone who just works in the community," he said. "The goal of family medicine is to create long-lasting relationships with an entire family over years of care. I think Pea Ridge is a great place to do that."

Mayor Jackie Crabtree praised Dr. Goss for keeping a promise he made years ago to re-establish a clinic in Pea Ridge if the opportunity ever arose. The former clinic building Mercy donated to the City of Pea Ridge has served as a library and community center for a decade.

Seeing Mercy return to open a new clinic is wonderful, Crabtree said.

"We feel like it's going to be a tremendous asset. With the way we're growing, the need for medical services is also growing," he said.

Crossland Construction Co. completed the Pea Ridge clinic building earlier this month.