Seneca County native opens new med practice

Seneca County native Dr. Zachary West, DO, opened a new medical practice in November, and is welcoming patients with a new approach to health care. The Ohio Institute of Osteopathic Medicine (OIOM), located at 93 N. Washington St., Tiffin, began accepting patients in early November. "It is an honor to return to my hometown and offer a new and better approach to primary care," West said in a press release. West is a graduate of the Old Fort School District and a third-generation Seneca County native. After graduating from Old Fort, West attended medical school at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, and "completed his internal medicine residency at Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster," according to the release. West served as chief resident at Fairfield Medical Center, and later completed a fellowship in osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, the release states. However, West said his goal always has been to return to "where my roots are." His new practice, he said, provides care using the "direct primary care healthcare model," which seeks to minimize "today's complex traditional healthcare systems." "Direct primary care is an alternative payment and practice model for primary care services with an emphasis on bringing the personal relationship back into patient care," according to the release. "For a flat monthly rate," the release states, patients enjoy "increased access to care, faster scheduling, more time with an actual physician, and better and more cost-effective options for medications, labs, imaging studies, and more." West said he is board certified to practice both internal (adult) medicine and osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine, allowing him to provide a "broad, unique set of services." According to the release, osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine "emphasizes the incorporation of osteopathic manual diagnosis and osteopathic manipulative treatment." The nervous, muscular and skeletal systems are evaluated "in their relationships to other systems of the body as well as the whole person," the release states. "I am excited to bring a holistic approach to medical care by being the only osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine specialist in the area," West stated in the release. The closest physicians providing similar services, he said, practice as far away as East Lansing, Michigan, and Athens, Ohio. A ribbon cutting for OIOM took place on Nov. 21, 2022. State Representative Gary Click visited OIOM Monday, to present West with a letter of recognition and congratulations on the new practice, he said. Patients interested in OIOM and its direct primary care approach can contact the office at 567-804-5777, or visit OIOM.com.