Joplin, Mo.— A new medical clinic is open in Joplin, geared at patients 65 and older. Mercy 65 Prime Plus opened Wednesday and celebrated today (1/06) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special blessing. It’s located at 2216 East 32nd Street — on the west side of Mid-Missouri Bank.

Officials say it’s different from geriatrics — and offers patients a more intensive primary care experience.

“As our population in the United States changes, we’re seeing a big increase in our 65 and older population. As we see that, we have recognized at Mercy that they have a lot of needs that we might not be able to meet in our regular clinics, and so rather than them feeling like they’re being lost in the shuffle, the idea is this will be more dedicated. Mercy really feels that it’s important to start this work, and in Joplin, we have been the first ones to put it in place,” said Allison Rhodes, Mercy.

The clinic extends appointment times for patients — from 15 minutes to a half-hour. Patients will also receive their appointment times a year in advance.

Same-day appointments will begin in March.