GREENVILLE — Brethren Retirement Community and Family Health have opened an on-campus clinic to give residents and employees easier access to primary care and reduce the need to travel for medical appointments.

The Family Health Clinic at BRC serves residents throughout the campus, including those in independent living, assisted living, and the main building, as well as employees. Clinic hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Jared M. Pollick, executive director of Family Health Services, said the clinic formalizes a longtime arrangement in which Family Health clinicians visited the retirement community.

“We’ve always had clinicians rotate over here, but it was sort of informal,” Pollick said.

Establishing a permanent clinic provides a consistent location for care and makes services more convenient for people who live and work at BRC, he said.

“So this is about creating access right where they are,” Pollick said.

Services include comprehensive primary care, routine checkups and wellness exams, along with chronic disease management for conditions involving blood pressure, diabetes and heart health. The clinic also provides sick visits and care for minor injuries.

The on-site care team includes Dr. Jawad Rehman, Natasha Kenworthy, Jennifer Jordan and licensed practical nurse Joyce Hofacker.

Pollick said clinicians can also see residents in their living units when necessary.

John L. Warner, BRC president and CEO, said the clinic builds on a longstanding partnership with Family Health.

“Family Health is certainly a community asset and has been a long-time partner, and now having a full-service clinic right here on our campus makes it so much easier for our residents to be able to access the quality care that Family Health provides,” Warner said.

The project grew out of discussions between the organizations. Warner, who serves on Family Health’s board of directors, said BRC had space available for the clinic.

“The decision was very easy because we knew we had a quality partner,” Warner said. “We already had some space that was available, and it’s a wonderful partnership that we hope to have for many years.”

For residents, receiving care on campus can ease the challenges of arranging transportation and traveling to an outside office.

Pollick said transportation frequently appears as a community need in Family Health’s needs assessments. He praised Greenville Transit’s work while noting the demand for transportation services.

Having care available down the hall helps reduce that barrier, he said.

The clinic also gives BRC employees access to medical services where they work. Pollick compared the approach to Family Health’s school-based program, which brings care to places where people spend much of their time.

For BRC, the clinic is another step in a broader effort to provide services and activities within the retirement community.

Warner said the campus also offers a bank, a full-service cafe, a well-being gym, a partnership with the Greenville Public Library, a hair salon and walking paths.

“We have very much made it intentional to bring as many services on campus as we can for our residents,” Warner said. “We just want to make sure that our residents have the opportunity for quality of life experiences right here at BRC.”

Pollick said the partnership reflects Family Health’s mission of “building healthy lives together,” with particular emphasis on working together.

“We’ve been able to achieve so much in our community because we sit down and do it together,” he said.

He thanked Warner and the BRC staff for helping establish the clinic, saying the shared goal is to make care more local and easier to access.

“We are so thrilled to be a part of your team here,” Pollick said.