Primary Plus to launch four-seat family-medicine residency, $12.5M downtown investment planned

Primary Plus announced that its new family medicine residency filled all four inaugural slots at National Match Day, bringing two Kentucky residents and two out-of-state residents to Maysville for the program's three-year training cycle. The residency clinic will be headquartered on the first floor of the Browning Medical Building downtown and will operate 4.5 days per week, closing Wednesday afternoons for required didactics.

Doctor William Craig Denham, presenting to the Mason County Fiscal Court, said the inaugural class will be in place for a minimum of three years, with four new residents taken each year thereafter. Denham said residents will split inpatient duties between Meadowview Regional Medical Center and partner pediatric hospitals, including the University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital, to meet inpatient pediatric requirements.

Denham outlined staffing and service plans: four resident physicians, about three patient-service representatives, and three nursing staff for the downtown clinic. He estimated each resident will see approximately 1,800 patients per year on average, acknowledging the number is lower than a full-time experienced practitioner because of training rotations and didactics. The Third Floor of the Browning Medical Building will be expanded for mental-health services and is planned to house two psychiatrists and four licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs).

The project includes multiple community-access elements. Denham said Primary Plus has received delivery of a 40-foot mobile health unit with two exam rooms and a small lab and expects a second unit within roughly six months that will include mobile pharmacy and dental equipment. The mobile units are intended for targeted outreach to areas with limited access, including the East End of Maysville, Sardis and outreach to Amish communities. Local law enforcement offered use of parking for test runs.

Denham said Primary Plus is negotiating with larger health systems (University of Cincinnati, Saint Elizabeth and TriHealth) to develop rotating adult specialty clinics in town, modeled on the existing Cincinnati Children's pediatric partnership. He urged county and city leaders, and the Chamber of Commerce, to support recruitment efforts with welcome resources and community receptions for incoming residents.

On financing and schedule, Denham said the county can expect a downtown investment of about $12.5 million for renovations, payroll and equipment related to the residency clinic and related services. He estimated full building renovations could take about 18 months; the residency must begin July 1 by regulation, so first-floor work needs to be completed by June to allow furniture installation. Denham said the program will not provide chemotherapy infusion services but plans to offer other infusion therapies through a planned infusion center that would participate in the 340B program to lower costs for patients.

The court expressed appreciation for the program and welcomed its potential to improve regional physician recruitment and retain practicing clinicians within about a 75-mile radius.

The court did not take formal action on the presentation; members asked clarifying questions about scheduling, appointments and parking for mobile units and thanked Primary Plus staff for the update.