Dr. Ballard
Christopher W. Ballard, M.D., his wife Jerri, and children Sophia, Isabella, and Zion, reside in Fairfield. He has been practicing in Fairfield and Albion for the past four years. Dr. Ballard is a 1989 graduate of Mt. Carmel High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry cum laude from the University of Evansville. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield with Institutional Honors and was named to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in 1997. Dr. Ballard completed his Family Medicine Residency at Deaconess Family Practice Residency Program, Evansville Indiana, in 2000. He served in the United States Air Force for four years following residency at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
Dr. Ballard is an active member in the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Christian Medical and Dental Society, and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Dr. Ballard is the son of Bill and Rhonda Ballard and the grandson of Katie Ballard, all of Bellmont.
Dr. Ballard will have routine office appointments available Tuesday through Friday in Fairfield. In addition to routine primary care, Dr. Ballard performs management and treatment of abnormal pap smears, insertion of Intrauterine Devices (IUDs), endometrial biopsies, joint and trigger point injections, and minor skin and nail surgeries. He will continue to see patients at Way Fair, Rest Haven, and Meadow Wood nursing homes as well.
“I am excited about the opportunity to provide a family-centered practice with Dr. Thompson. Our goal is to strive to provide quality, comprehensive healthcare for the entire family while making access to care as hassle free as possible. My family and I are glad to be a part of the hospital’s plan to expand healthcare services for the community, and we look forward to serving our patients. My patients are just an extension of our family, and many times, Sophia and Bella enjoy making patient rounds with me to see our extended healthcare family,” said Dr. Ballard
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Dr. Thompson
Wesley D. Thompson, M.D., his wife, Lachelle, and daughters, Paige and Claire, are originally from Olney and currently live in Fairfield. Dr. Thompson has been practicing in Fairfield since completing his Family Practice Residency at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville, Indiana, in June of 2003. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to medical school, he taught Biology at Olney Central College.
Dr. Thompson serves our country as a Battalion Surgeon in the Illinois Army National Guard, with prior active duty service in Baghdad, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is an active member in the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians, the Christian Medical and Dental Society, the Wilderness Medical Society, and the Army Medical Department. He completed additional training in endoscopy of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts for screening and therapeutic purposes. He also enjoys and received additional training in tactical and wilderness medicine.
Dr. Thompson is the son of Russell and Peggy Jausel of Olney, and Tom Duvall of Fairfield. He is the grandson of Helen Price of West Liberty, and Fanny Duvall of Fairfield.
When talking about why he chose to move his practice to Horizon Healthcare, Dr. Thompson said, “While building upon an already knowledgeable and caring medical staff at Fairfield Memorial Hospital, Horizon Healthcare will allow me to enhance patient care in a more comfortable and personable environment. Through continued expansion, we will add services that were previously available only to those in larger cities. And most importantly, my family will continue to grow as part of Fairfield. When asked what to tell people about Horizon Healthcare, my daughter, Paige stated, ‘You will be welcome in our new clinic.’"
Phillip Blaich, PA-C
Phillip Blaich, PA-C will be joining the Horizon Healthcare Team of Practitioners in late September when he returns to the United States after serving as a contract Physician Assistant in Basra, Iraq. He will be relocating to the Fairfield area with his wife, Vicki.
Mr. Blaich received his Bachelor of Science Degree – Physician Assistant from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, in 1978, while in the Air Force. He later received his Masters of Science in Administration from Georgia College, Milledgeville, Georgia in 1987. During his administrative career Mr. Blaich served at the Pentagon, United States Air Force, Washington, DC, as the Director of Congressional Affairs, Personnel. After retiring from the Air Force Mr. Blaich returned to practice as a Physician Assistant. He has served in various communities throughout the United States including a very small Montana community, where he was one of only three medical providers in the county.
Mr. Blaich says he is proud to have served his country for twenty-three years in the military and now will be equally proud to live and work in Fairfield, Illinois providing healthcare to friends and neighbors. He is excited about the opportunity to work with Drs. Ballard and Thompson in the new clinic providing a seamless extension of the quality care they are already known for in this area.
When talking about why he chose Fairfield, Mr. Blaich stated,” Working in a rural setting in Montana was the most rewarding experience of my career. It revealed to my wife and I that we want to spend the rest of our lives in a community where we know our patients as neighbors, and we can become an integral part of a small, close community.”
“How can it get any better,” he states, “a new facility, great clinic staff, a supportive hospital and two board-certified family practice physicians already known and respected in Fairfield.”
Horizon Healthcare Staff
Along with Dr. Ballard and Dr. Thompson, their support staff will include three nurses, Carolyn Beam, Amy Frymire, and Vicki Lear. Julie Aman, has been serving as the Director of Physician Practices at Horizon Healthcare and has worked to hire a very skilled team including: Liz Molt, Customer Service Representative; Kristin Boldt, Patient Account Representative; and Michelle Carter, Medical Records Technician.
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