by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
For over 80 years, the Larmoyeux Clinic on East Ashley Street has been treating patients for everything from colds to injuries. The clinic may operate for another 80 years, but after a recent merger, it’ll do so with the help one of the area’s top health care names.
Last month, the clinic became affiliated with Baptist Primary Care, which is part of the Baptist Health system. Outside of a small change to the clinic’s sign, everyone involved with both the clinic and Baptist say patients won’t notice any changes.
“This will allow us to get back to the business of being doctors,” said Dr. John Trainer, who joined the clinic in 2001 with his wife Dr. Elizabeth Trainer, who has since retired to be a stay-home mom. “The dynamic doesn’t change, it shouldn’t change and if the patient perceives there is a change, they should let us know.”
The clinic was established by the aunt of Dr. Louis Larmoyeux Jr. in the 1920s as a family medical practice. His brother, Dr. Michael Larmoyeux joined the practice in the 1980s, but retired early, creating room for the Trainers to join.
“Dr. Larmoyeux needed doctors and there were two opening,” said Trainer. “He has treated us like family.”
Earl Mally, senior vice president of Baptist Health, said the Larmoyeux Clinic is one of several — 10-12 he estimates — small practices and clinics the hospital has become associated with over the past few years. Mally said Baptist doesn’t target the practices, but does look to form a partnership when the opportunity presents itself.
“We try to serve the community,” he said, adding if Baptist Health comes across a quality, existing practice in the area, it will begin to explore a partnership. “We don’t grow simply to get bigger. We want to grow strategically.”
Mally said the Larmoyeux Clinic is in an area Baptist was looking to expand and he thinks as Downtown comes of age, the clinic will grow as well. He also said forming a partnership with an existing clinic with a staff of doctors, nurses and administrators is much less expensive than constructing or remodeling a building and hiring a new staff.
With the partnership, the doctors and staff of the clinic become employees of Baptist Health.
“The physicians drive this, we are just here to help,” said Mally, adding Baptist will help with payroll, business administration and compliance.
The heavy burden put on small clinics and practices by the large insurance companies may eventually force a majority of those small clinics and practices to enter partnerships with major health care providers. These partnerships will allow the doctors to treat patients while the providers run the administrative side of the industry.
Trainer said he and Larmoyeux considered other options, but the mission and method of Baptist “mirrored our own,” he said.
“It’s a good evolution, a good marriage,” said Larmoyeux. “Their goals are similar to ours. They appreciate the importance of the family practice”
The clinic has two doctors and eight more employees. Trainer said their well-being was certainly a consideration.
“We wanted to continue to offer employment,” he said. “Most small clinics are small businesses. We are the economic drivers of eight families. We want to continue to be a viable business and we want our employees to continue to have jobs.”
Trainer said Baptist even took into consideration how long each employee has been with the clinic.
“The staff accrued longevity as if they had been with Baptist,” said Trainer, adding one employee has been with the clinic, and now Baptist, for 27 years.
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