St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital, Coaldale, held a double celebration in McAdoo.

Representatives from the hospital were joined Thursday afternoon by borough officials and local legislators in the opening of two new facilities at 14 North Kennedy Drive (Route 309).St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation is now open to provide patients with comprehensive physical therapy and wellness programs.Meanwhile, on May 3, St. Luke's Miners will open the latest of its Health Centers to provide residents of McAdoo and surrounding communities with access to primary health care."All I can say is, wow," said Ralph Richards, administrator of St. Luke's Miners and director for St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation. "We have opened eight Sports and Rehab centers and two Rural Health Centers (in Nesquehoning and Hometown), but this is the first hybrid of its model. In this building, we provide the best of both worlds."Richards noted the opening of the new facility reinforces St. Luke's Miners' strategic plan of providing services outside of the hospital.St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation opened its first facility more than 10 years ago in Coaldale. The facilities started due to a need to help patients recover from a hospital stay or an injury and get back to their normal lifestyles."Physical therapy and wellness are critical steps in healing and improving patients' overall well-being," said Richards.Michael Strucko, DPT, will serve as clinic coordinator for St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation-McAdoo."Everyone is an individual, with unique needs, and we specialize in individualized care," said Strucko. "As physical therapists, we help people get back to doing the things they love, whether it is playing a sport, tinkering with a hobby or playing with the kids or grandkids."St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation treats a variety of conditions through physical therapy, including strains and sprains, joint replacements, tendinitis, bursitis, chronic fatigue, inner ear balance disorder and work related and accident injuries.The wellness program helps people improve their overall health."It's like a gym program with a lot of perks," said Strucko.The other St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation Centers are now located in Blakeslee, Coaldale, Jim Thorpe, Mahoning Valley, Mahanoy City, Nesquehoning, Weatherly and West Penn.The St. Luke's Miners Health Centers were opened with two main goals: to improve access to primary health care in rural, underserved communities and to promote a model of health care delivery using physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants."Working together, we create family health care," said Dr. James Greenfield, who oversees the health centers. "The nurse practitioners will provide a broad range of health care services to all patients, six months of age to older adults, while maintaining a close working relationship with physicians. Wellness exams, sick visits, immunizations and lab work are all services provided by our staff."Based on the patient growth we have seen at our existing health centers, it was obvious that a need existed to open another location in order to bring quality health care to more members of the community," said Karen J. Smith, vice president of patient care services at St. Luke's Miners, who serves as administrator for the rural health centers."This is a great addition to our town, and to our health care system," said Dane Watro, mayor of McAdoo. "Today's grand opening is proof that McAdoo is moving forward and that St. Luke's is willing to serve the people of McAdoo and the surrounding communities.""You folks from McAdoo, Kline Township and even south to Hometown are lucky to have this facility," said state Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-124).State Sen. David Argall (R-29), who noted that he has attended eight of the nine St. Luke's Sports Rehab openings, mentioned that the hospital has breathed new life into an old building once more."St. Luke's has done a magnificent job of this, and I say, keep it up, these communities need you," said Argall.St. Luke's Sports and Rehabilitation-McAdoo is currently open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call the McAdoo center at (570) 645-1885 or the main Coaldale office at (570) 645-8197.The McAdoo health center will also be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., beginning May 3. For more information, call (570) 645-1880.