CANAJOHARIE, N.Y. — A concern for the Amish community is medical care. Although they will go to doctors and hospitals when necessary, they prefer to be cared for in familiar settings.
To meet this need, Amish in rural New York built a wellness center. The Marshville Wellness Center, a non-profit organization serving local communities, officially opened its doors Sept. 1.
The center’s board created a mission statement: “To provide compassionate medical care to our communities in the name of Christ.”
The building includes offices, exam rooms and equipment for emergency and lab services. Planned for winter of 2025 will be rooms and equipment for dental services.
All of this came together with the assistance of the Amish and Mennonite communities. Amish culture allows the communities to own the building and equipment, but not staff the offices.
Therefore, health-care providers rent space for their practices and provide their own billing, with mostly self-pay for treatments. Labor for all building construction was donated by Amish and Mennonite workers.
Members of the Amish community attend the Aug. 30 auction to benefit the new Marshville Wellness Center.
Proceeds from auctions made the building and equipment possible. The second annual auction was held at the wellness center site on Aug. 30. Donated items included 10×14-foot timber-framed buildings, power tools, a large wooden swing set, indoor and outdoor furniture, a utility trailer and much more.
Currently taking appointments is Dr. Tom Birk. Birk’s wife, Joyce, serves as nurse assistant, receptionist and office manager.
“We welcome families from birth to death,” Joyce said. While they currently don’t accept insurance, they will work with payment plans.
“We would rather take time treating the patients than doing the administrative work necessary with insurance,” Birk said.
Joyce said many of the Amish and Mennonites travel to Mexico for treatments.
“We are looking to be able to (provide) those services closer to home for them,” Joyce explained. “We do family practice and minor, less complicated surgery in our surgical room”
Birk began practicing in the military. He then joined Lewis County General Hospital, and later started serving the Amish and Mennonite communities.
The Birks have a home in Lewis County, and split their time between there and the wellness center. Birk practices osteopathic medicine, believing all areas are connected and must be treated together.
“I enjoy the house calls, but I expect a larger volume of patient care will be at the center,” Birk said.
They are waiting to see what vaccines are requested by the community, but tetanus — including the tetanus variation for those with an injury who have never received a tetanus vaccine — will be available.
The local Amish communities show their support during a late-August auction for the Marshville Wellness Center.
They are prepared to care for emergency visits for stitches, infections and allergic reactions. They have also formed relationships with area hospitals if a patient needs to be transferred.
Birk is licensed to do physicals for CDL drivers in the non-Amish community and welcomes anyone who needs services.
Birk is also trained in OB/GYN but will focus on family health since midwives are part of the wellness center. Heidi Ricks is a midwife who handles deliveries and prenatal care at the center.
“Local hospitals are about a half hour away, but many Amish travel up to three hours away for deliveries,” Ricks said. “Women should be able to stay in their own communities to have a baby.” She would like to include more prenatal care for women.
Joining the Birks is Dr. Paul Ferenchak, who will perform minor surgeries for skin conditions, cysts and hernias.
Debra Buzey with Upstate Bio-Metric Labs will perform blood draws and blood work. She will also welcome house calls.
Sherry Wheelock, a nurse practitioner with Wheelock Medical Services, will handle IV infusions and work in many different specialties.
Wheelock can provide services like physical exams, order laboratory tests, manage diseases and write prescriptions.
She will also make house calls for various treatments. In addition to self-pay, Wheelock may accept payments from some insurance policies.
Dr. Daniel Zakhary is a cardiologist and consultant renting space in the wellness center, with additional providers being added as the needs of the community increase.
The Marshville Wellness Center is located at 373 Marshville Road, Canajoharie, New York. They can be contacted by calling 518-940-4692. Donations can be made with checks to AWC Fundraising at any NBT bank branch or locally at AWC Fundraising/ NBT Bank, 41 Canal St., Fort Plain, New York.
link