You’d have to look back more than 100 years to find the historical beginning of today’s Woodlawn Health in Rochester. The storied beginning dates back to 1905, when the doors opened as Fulton County’s first hospital, offering access to medical, surgical and obstetric aid. That first county hospital went through numerous updates over 120 years, the most recent being the rebrand of Woodlawn Hospital to Woodlawn Health, to better reflect the expanded scope of services offered by the clinics and specialists. Despite the many changes over the years, the core philosophy of delivering excellent medical care remained constant.
Today’s Woodlawn is known for serving the community with superior care. Some of the signature services include maternity care (with one of the few birthing units in a rural hospital in the greater area), pediatric care, orthopedics, and a bilingual Spanish-speaking provider. An important addition to the medical team is podiatrist Dr. Eric Rindlisbacher.
Before arriving at Woodlawn, Rindlisbacher served as the associate director of residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka for 10 years, where he trained residents in the areas of foot and ankle surgery. “It was an excellent time for a lot of learning and teaching,” he says. At Woodlawn, Rindlisbacher and others on staff perform surgical procedures in addition to comprehensive patient care.
Originally from Alaska, Rindlisbacher grew up the son of a podiatrist, which he credits for directing his own career path into medicine. “Growing up around the profession, I began to understand the good that could be done and the tremendous need for foot and ankle care,” he says. His Alaskan childhood meant spending time outdoors, often rafting, hiking and fishing. Rindlisbacher participated in the Boy Scouts and earned his Eagle Scout award. He says Alaska “helped shape me into the person I am. I love the outdoors, and that has carried over to my life here in Indiana – a lot less elevation, but my family and I find a lot of fun hiking and fishing at the state parks and in nearby states.”
Some favorite activities Rindlisbacher enjoys with his family include hiking in the Kentucky Red River Gorge, spending time on the river in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and hiking in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Recently Rindlisbacher and his wife rode in and completed the Tour of the Scioto River Valley 100-mile ride in Ohio, the largest bike ride of its kind in the nation. The couple has four children. Their oldest son is a senior at Penn High School, and after graduating he plans to serve a two-year mission for their church before attending Brigham Young University. They have another son at Penn, and daughter in junior high who recently competed in the state spell bowl. Their youngest son carries on the family’s affinity for sports but also finds time for video games.
Serving the community extends beyond Rindlisbacher’s podiatry work at Woodlawn. He serves in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mishawaka as the bishop of their ward, or geographic region. Part of his role over the last year has included working with the church’s youth groups doing service projects and activities. His wife also serves in the church planning activities for young women.
Rindlisbacher fits right in at Woodlawn Health, where commitment to community is at the heart of the center’s activities. This past November marked the first car-seat clinic that Woodlawn hosted at the hospital, where the team assisted parents in need of a car seat, and instructed parents on how to make sure the seat is properly installed to ensure their child is safe while riding in the seat. Woodlawn also hosts a free sports physical night at the hospital’s clinic in partnership with local schools, to make sure all students have an opportunity to participate in sports throughout the school year.
The team goes out in the community during the summer months, participating in the Marshall County, Miami County and Fulton County 4-H fairs, as well as the Akron Fourth of July Parade and Argos Start of Summer Parade. Throughout the year the Woodlawn team is active in the Argos TGIF events and the Fulton County Ladies in Leadership lunches/breakfasts. The Plymouth Health Fair and Fulton County Health Fair are mainstays on the Woodlawn Health community events calendar.
Woodlawn Health supports the next generation of health care professionals by introducing high school and college students to the medical field through internships, which involve experiences ranging from clinical observation to administrative support. Woodlawn also welcomes local school groups to tour the facility.
Currently Woodlawn Health serves five rural counties and has seen close to one million patients over the past 20 years. There are plans underway to further expand primary care services within Fulton County in the new year. Rindlisbacher describes the staff as “fantastic. Woodlawn is a place where everyone is here to help the patients.”
Rindlisbacher is currently accepting patients for podiatry needs, and you can schedule an appointment with him at 574-223-9393. For more information, visit woodlawnhospital.org.