A new health care practice is now serving patients in Martinsville.
Primary Express & Sick Care recently opened at 209 Cleveland Ave., Suite A. The practice is owned by Tara Williams, a board-certified family nurse practitioner with more than seven years of experience in family medicine, emergency medicine and urgent care.
Williams said the practice provides both primary care and same-day sick visits, offering an option for residents who do not have an established primary care provider.
“If you’re not getting yearly physicals, it’s really hard to know what’s going with your health. It’s one of the things I tell people is, it’s really important to be seen once a year, get your vitals done, and just make sure everything is where it should be, to stay ahead of your health,” she said.
In addition to routine care, the clinic treats acute illnesses and minor medical concerns.
“Anybody that needs family care, and we also see people walk in for sick visits. So if you’re having an acute cough, or a respiratory illness, or anything about that sort, we’re happy to see if that as well,” Williams said.
Williams practices as an autonomous nurse practitioner, which allows her to operate independently under Virginia law.
“I practice independently, and that is based on the number of years of service that I’ve already had. So, three is the regulatory requirement, and I had seven,” she said.
Williams also incorporates holistic and naturopathic methods to ensure the best patient outcomes
She said becoming part of the local community played a role in her decision to open the practice.
“We settled here, and we love it here, and in the last two years, I’ve been working in Greensboro, and I really wanted to come home and be back in the community and be back to helping the people that I loved and care about for two years while I was working urgent care here. So I’m really happy to be here,” Williams said.
“We love living in Martinsville. It’s a great town. We love having the mountains so close, and we love the people here. We’ve got a lot of really great support, even though we’re not from here. We have so many friends and neighbors that support us, and we’re just really happy about that,” she added.
Brenell Thomas, president of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the new business during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“I don’t think we can have too many healthcare options,” Thomas said. “Having this locally owned opportunity for our healthcare option is, to me, a bonus.”
Thomas said community support is critical to helping new businesses succeed.
“Today is one of those days I wish we had more of them. Like, every day, we were cutting ribbons and welcoming new businesses to our community,” she said. “What’s more important is seeing the support of the community so that we’re coming back in 5, 10, 15 years, and we’re recognizing their longevity in this community.”
Patients can schedule appointments by phone, in person or through the practice’s website. Primary Express & Sick Care is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
For more information, call 327-227-4277 or visit www.primaryexpress.com.
