Cincinnati Children’s Wilmington Primary Care to offer pediatric services closer to home

Highly regarded physician who served Clinton County families for years will lead location set to open in January 2025

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Cincinnati Children's Wilmington Primary Care will open in January 2025 to bring pediatric services closer to home for residents of Clinton County and surrounding areas. A highly regarded physician who has served local families for many years will oversee the medical office.

Jeffrey Manser, MD, cared for thousands of children and families during 32 years as a pediatrician in Wilmington, and he will lead the Cincinnati Children's office at 1150 W. Locust St., Suite 500. The phone number is 937-535-7878, and the location will begin accepting appointments in December.

Tina Gabbard, MD, a family physician with over 30 years of experience in Wilmington, will also work at the office. She and Manser have been married for 37 years. Cincinnati Children's plans to add another pediatrician to the location, along with a registered nurse, medical assistants and support staff.

Manser became ill with COVID at the start of the pandemic and was hospitalized. In support of their community's beloved doctor, patient families held a prayer vigil. Trending on social media was a #ManserStrong campaign that depicted candles, outdoor luminaria and porch lights turned on in his honor. Since Manser's recovery, many parents have urged him to return to practicing medicine. He decided to do so now because of his gratitude to those families and the area's shortage of pediatricians.

"The community of Wilmington has always been generous to me, and now I have the chance to give back in a meaningful way," Manser said. "As some of my colleagues moved on to new opportunities or retired, it has become challenging to maintain pediatric coverage for our community. Cincinnati Children's and I recognized the urgent need to restore pediatric care for Wilmington. I realized that the best way to ensure long-lasting care was to partner with a renowned organization like Cincinnati Children's, which is recognized nationally for its high standards."

Evaline Alessandrini, MD, chief operating officer at Cincinnati Children's, noted that the Wilmington office will be the health system's first location in Clinton County.

"We are investing in this community so that Cincinnati Children's Wilmington Primary Care can provide pediatric services closer to home for many families who now drive long distances," Alessandrini said. "We are delighted that someone as highly regarded as Dr. Manser will lead this effort to increase access to care for families in Clinton County and nearby Highland County and Fayette County."

Alessandrini said that about 4,000 kids who are enrolled in HealthVine, the pediatric accountable care organization overseen by Cincinnati Children's, live in Clinton County or surrounding areas. Wilmington is 50 miles from Cincinnati Children's Burnet Campus in Hamilton County and 35 miles from the health system's Liberty Campus in Butler County.

Manser said: "Our goal is to build a permanent pediatric presence in Wilmington - where we can provide world-class medical care for generations to come. I look forward to mentoring and guiding young physicians and pediatric nurse practitioners, ensuring that the children of Wilmington receive consistent, top-tier care."

He noted that Gabbard is a family physician whose experience has included delivering babies. "Along with her general expertise in pediatric care, she brings invaluable knowledge in mental health, gynecology, and adolescent medicine, which will help address some of the community's most pressing healthcare needs," Manser added.

Gabbard said Cincinnati Children's Wilmington Primary Care will be a valuable addition to the medical community in Clinton County. "Jeff has dedicated nearly a year working alongside Cincinnati Children's to establish this pediatric office, and I am thrilled to join him in this important endeavor," Gabbard said. "My goal is to help ensure a seamless transition while continuing to provide high-quality care to the children in this community as Cincinnati Children's expands and brings additional pediatric providers to the Wilmington office."

The location will care for children from newborns through adolescence until age 23. Primary care providers will work closely with pediatric specialists at Cincinnati Children's for advanced care options if needed.

To open the Wilmington location, Cincinnati Children's purchased an existing medical office and has begun interior renovation. The estimated cost to acquire and renovate the office, which encompasses 3,875 square feet and includes eight exam rooms, is about $600,000.

Manser began as a solo practitioner in 1988 and expanded Wilmington Medical Associates to include additional pediatricians before retiring in April 2020. For 32 years, Manser was on call at Clinton Memorial Hospital in Wilmington to care for high-risk newborns. He was a pediatric preceptor for young doctors from 1997 to 2014 at Clinton Memorial Hospital through the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Program. He earned a medical degree in 1985 from Wright State University, followed by a three-year residency with Dayton Children's Hospital. Manser received a bachelor's degree in biology from Youngstown State University in 1979.

Gabbard has practiced family medicine and obstetrics in Clinton County since 1988, originally with Wilmington Medical Associates and since 2020 with Christ Hospital Physicians Primary Care. She also has volunteered with the Clinton County Free Clinic and served as medical director for New Life Clinic. Gabbard earned a medical degree from Wright State in 1985, followed by a three-year residency in family practice with Grant Medical Center in Columbus. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 1980.

"From the moment Tina and I arrived in Wilmington in 1988, we felt welcomed by the warmth of this community," Manser said. "Now, with Cincinnati Children's by our side, I am confident that we will provide the highest level of pediatric care. I look forward to reconnecting with old patients and welcoming new ones."

Cincinnati Children's already offers pediatric primary care in Anderson Township, Avondale, Batesville, Cold Spring, Fairfield, Florence, Greensburg, Kenwood, Liberty Township, Mason, North Fairmount, Southgate and Springdale as well as at three school-based health centers in Cincinnati. In addition, Cincinnati Children's has begun construction on a medical building that will include pediatric primary care in the Boone County city of Union, Ky., and a primary care is set to open in Loveland, Ohio.

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