Buckhannon’s CareXpress Hires Team of Health Care Professionals
When CareXpress, a comprehensive walk-in health care facility in Buckhannon opened Tuesday, a highly competent staff was standing by to offer quick, efficient assistance to patients suffering from minor, non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Owned and operated by Tri-County Health Clinic, no appointments are necessary to take advantage of CareXpress, which is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
CareXpress employs a full compliment of health care professionals, who include a board certified physician assistant, a board certified family nurse practitioner, two licensed practical nurses and a general medical assistant. Debbie Carpenter, director of nursing for Tri-County Health Clinic, will work with the CareXpress staff. In addition, a clerical staff will register patients and assist with insurance and payment matters.
Elkins resident Patricia Collett, a Board Certified Physician Assistant, is the site manager for CareXpress, where she is responsible for ordering appropriate diagnostics, while treating, evaluating, and providing education for a variety of illnesses and injuries.
Collett has extensive experience in treating acute and chronic illness across the age spectrum in a rural health setting. During five years of her career, she worked within a Critical Access hospital emergency department and family practice clinic and has also worked at rural health centers as an administrator and medical provider. Currently, she provides services at all Tri-County Health Clinic sites.
"It has been my passion throughout my career to make a difference in the way health care is provided to my patients," said Collett. "This wonderful collaborative effort between Davis Health System, St. Joseph's Hospital and Tri-County Health Clinic is a positive step toward providing quick, efficient and cost effective quality patient care in Upshur and Lewis counties, as well as the surrounding area."
Employed by Tri-County Health Clinic for eight years, Collett is a 1994 graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, with a bachelor of science degree. She began her career as a physician assistant in the emergency department at City Hospital in Martinsburg.
She has held positions as director and medical provider for the Northern Pocahontas Health Clinic and at Broaddus Hospital, where she administered to patients in the Critical Access Emergency Department and at other rural health centers.
Collett began her association with Tri-County Health Clinic at the Rock Cave site in 2000 and later served as quality improvement director for all Tri-County Health Clinic sites. She has also served the agency as chief operating officer for the Northern Pocahontas Health Clinic in Pocahontas County and Little Meadow Health Center in Helvetia.
She resides with her husband, Alan, and four children.
Marissa Barberio, a board certified family nurse practitioner, has worked since 2001 as a registered nurse at West Virginia University Hospitals in the Maternal Infant Care Center. There, she cared for women in all phases of pregnancy, from conception to labor and delivery.
In addition to serving WVU Hospitals, Barberio's special interests center on treating acute illnesses and issues regarding women's health care. She has assisted with patient care at Tri-County Health Clinic and West Milford Community Health Center, where she treated patients across the lifespan.
Following graduation from Robert C. Byrd High School, she completed her bachelor of science and the master of science degrees in nursing in 2001 and 2007, respectively.
Barberio was born and raised in Clarksburg where she currently resides with her husband, Chad.
CareXpress has provisions for limited on-site laboratory and X-ray services, in addition to off-site laboratory services at St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon and Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins.
Tri-County Health Clinic is a private, nonprofit, consumer-directed health care provider, serving Upshur County and surrounding areas for the past 23 years. The agency currently operates health centers in Rock Cave, Helvetia, Durbin and West Milford, in addition to full-service retail pharmacies in Rock Cave and Blacksville.
The CareXpress facility is housed on the ground floor of the Buckhannon Medical Care building, located at 11 N. Locust St. in downtown Buckhannon.
Tri-County is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and receives cost-based reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare law.
CareXpress medical staff offers treatment to patients suffering from colds, flu, sore throats, ear infections, urinary tract infections, poison ivy, minor lacerations and fractures, and other non-life threatening illnesses and injuries.
All health insurance plans, as well as MasterCard and Visa will be accepted. CareXpress may be reached by calling 473-1440.
