KTLO Features

Opening of Fairlamb Senior Health Center

     A major gift last year by a Baxter County couple led to yesterday's opening at Baxter Regional Medical Center of the Fairlamb Senior Health Clinic, which is the clinical component of the newly established Baxter Regional Center on Aging. About 200 people attended the hospital's naming ceremony for the new clinic.
     Baxter County has a significant population of retirees and senior citizens and hospital personnel say focus groups and assessment needs conducted by BRMC indicated many local citizens wanted healthcare delivery from those specializing in geriatrics, which the new clinic will help provide.
     Hospital Vice-President of Development Barney Larry on the role of the Fairlamb Senior Health Clinic.

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Rick Fairlamb, a retired chief mechanical engineer for a major, worldwide construction and engineering firm, and his wife, Pam, moved to the Mountain Home area in 1998. Last year the couple donated $1.2 million to the hospital and said the chance to make the donation was one of the more exciting times of their lives. Rick Fairlamb explained the decision to donate funding for the clinic was based upon seeing their older friends and neighbors struggling due to traveling great distances for services that will now be provided locally.

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    Hospital CEO and President Ron Peterson said the Fairlambs' generosity is another example of why healthcare services in the Twin Lakes Area are exceptional.
    A guest speaker for yesterday's ceremony was Dr. Larry Wright, executive director of the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education and an associate director of the Arkansas Aging Initiative. Wright said the new clinic gives the hospital a full-fledged Center on Aging and the opportunity to provide chronic care for local aging residents.

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    The Fairlamb Senior Health Clinic, which will specialize in care for seniors 65 and older, is located in one of the specialty houses on the Baxter Regional Medical Center campus. The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays and accepts Medicare and most healthcare insurance.