A new family practitioner and a new general surgeon are set to begin practice at Salem Township Hospital in October.
Hospital President Alex Nazarian says general surgeon Dr. April Jackson will join the staff on Monday and will be the hospital’s second surgeon. She will work with Dr. Kevin Claffey. The two will alternate surgery days and days doing clinicals. Jackson is coming to Salem from Paducah, Kentucky and grew up in Metropolis.
The new family practitioner is Dr. Joseph Mossad. He will initially practice in the Rural Health Center beginning October 15th until the new medical offices are complete in the A wing renovation. Dr. Mossad graduated from medical school in New York and has just completed his residency at an Alabama Hospital.
Nazarian also provided an update on the A wing renovation and the elevated front parking lot.
Nazarian says there are further delays in the medical office project due to difficulties in getting HVAC equipment.
“HVAC is one of the main things, there are things like cold air handlers that blow the fresh air, we might need to do a temporary arrangement for that for a few months. We will have a trailer outside hooked up to our HVAC system so that people working there can have fresh air.”
Nazarian is now hopeful the new facility can open sometime in February.
Nazarian believes the new parking lot will be available in about two weeks.
“Obviously there are going to be unfinished items, like we are planning a limestone cap on the barrier walls and some railing that is back ordered. So you have seen the wooden barriers, that will be our safety measure until we get everything done.”
Nazarian says at that time the front lobby of the hospital will reopen.
