staffing changes

Community HealthCare System is pleased to announce that Tracy Ahlquist of rural Onaga has joined its Board of Directors.

Ahlquist retired from Jeffrey Energy Center in 2018 after a 37-year career in maintenance and control of plant electrical equipment. He recently returned to the plant as a temporary contract employee for a special project.

Ahlquist brings diverse skills and a commitment to community service to the board.

“I spent the first...

Dr. Tom Walsh, who moved back to Onaga in 1975 to practice medicine with his father, has announced that he plans to retire by the end of 2021.

“This is my hometown. I love the people here. I have enjoyed practicing here all these years, and it has been a blessing for myself and my family,” Dr. Walsh said.

Dr. Walsh was newly married to Marcia Walsh when he came back to Onaga, and they carried all of their possession in the back of a borrowed pickup truck. They raised...

The new administrator of St. Marys Manor didn’t need a full tour on her first day. Shannon Heim, who started in early March, already knew her way around because she is the third generation in her family to care for residents there.

Both Heim’s grandmother, Donna Tarbutton, and her mother, Kim Wild, have worked at St. Marys Manor. Tarbutton began working for the Manor in 1966 as a charge nurse, then became Director of Nursing and served as co-administrator....

Claire Blumer, physician assistant, will join the Community HealthCare System Centralia Clinic in early April. Blumer will see patients Wednesday through Friday each week and is eager to develop personal relationships with her patients.

“No two days are the same in family practice, and I appreciate the variety of ages and medical cases that come with this field,” Blumer said.

She particularly appreciates rural medical practice.

“I...

Andy Barnes, APRN, will be joining Community HealthCare System full-time in February 2021. Barnes previously worked on an as-needed basis and provided care in the Emergency Department and family practice clinics at CHCS for two and a half years and continues with Stormont Vail Emergency Room, where he has been for more than 15 years. In his new role at CHCS, Barnes will work three days a week in Centralia Clinic and Onaga Clinic, plus continue to be on call one weekend per month.

“We...

Amy Jones, APRN and full-time provider at Community HealthCare System’s Centralia Clinic, will be transitioning to PRN status at the end of January 2021. This means that although she will continue to substitute from time to time, she is retiring from full-time duty at the clinic.

Jones has been with CHCS for 17 years. During her time at the Centralia Clinic, she has provided excellent care to patients of all ages, but she is particularly fond of the elderly. Jones loves to help...

Community HealthCare System is pleased to announce that Andrea Lutz, doctor of physical therapy, will transition into a new role as Director of Ancillary Services in the next month.

Lutz will oversee a number of departments in her new position: Dietary, Radiology, Laboratory, Rehabilitation and Fitness, Community HomeHealth, Community Home Care Equipment, Respiratory Care, and Pharmacy. Lutz previously served as manager of Rehabilitation and Fitness.

Todd Willert,...

Community HealthCare System is pleased to announce that Merica Surdez, APRN, will transition into a new role as Chief of Provider and Clinic Operations effective immediately. 

Surdez will serve as a liaison with medical staff and will manage operations at the seven CHCS clinic locations in Onaga, St. Marys, Holton, Westmoreland, Frankfort, Centralia, and Corning.

Todd Willert, CHCS CEO, said Surdez is a great fit for the position. “Merica’s knowledge of our...