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DOWAGIAC — Local residents now have a new place to go to obtain the health care they need.

Advanced Practice Integrated Health, 57392 M-51 S., opened its doors on April 12 and is now accepting appointments.

The clinic, founded by Lisa Wolske FNP and Kathleen Basha PA-C, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“With Wednesdays, we wanted to be open a day during the week where patients who work 9 to 5 will be able to come in and get the care that they need,” she said.

Wolske and Basha aim to offer patients a one-stop destination for primary medical care services including wound care, diabetic care, lab work, mental health care and more.

“We hope to save patients travel time, which is huge,” Wolske said. “It allows them to get the necessary things done quickly.”

Wolske has more than 14 years of experience as a nurse and four as a nurse practitioner, and Basha brings with her more than 20 years of experience as a physician assistant. The duo will be joined by Dr. Son Phung, who has spent more than 20 years in various hospital settings, including emergency room and occupational care.

The venture is a dream come true for Wolske, who hopes to better address the needs of residents in Dowagiac, Niles and beyond.

“We’ve been planning this for two years,” she said. “I had been working in Watervliet for three years prior and wasn’t able to help the patients like I wanted to. … We hope to be able to provide care to whoever needs it. We take most insurances, including Medicaid. Patients with chronic illnesses need to see specialists. That’s one of the main reasons I’m trying to have everything here on-site.”

After scouting locations, Wolske and Basha happened upon 57392 M-51 S., the site of the former Pokagon Health Clinic that featured the ideal infrastructure for their needs.

“It’s a turnkey operation,” she said. “Finances are always limited, and we wanted to open as soon as possible without doing a lot of remodeling.”

While the floor currently consists of Wolske and Basha, the duo hopes to hire more staff as business increases. Wolske said she would like to eventually offer an on-site pharmacy, IV therapy, hydration therapy, vitamin therapy and hire a psychiatrist.

“I just want to be able to better help people with their illnesses,” she said. “I know we have the ability to help a lot of people.”

For more information, interested parties can contact the clinic at (269) 462-9587.