La Comunidad Hispana is welcoming Dr. Elaine Kirchdoerfer (known as Dr. K to her patients) to its Oxford satellite office. Oxford staff pictured here from left, Anel Medina, Registered Nurse, Dr. K., Physician, and Liliana Hernandez, Member Relations Specialist.
Dr. Elaine Kirchdoerfer, or “Dr. K.” as her patients call her, has joined La Comunidad Hispana’s (LCH) medical team at the new Oxford satellite health center (303 North Third Street, Suite #2 Oxford, PA 19363, next to the Redner’s shopping center).
Having practiced medicine since 1990, Dr. K. has a wealth of community health experience to bring to LCH. She joined the National Health Service Corps, which helped fund her education but also supported her desire to practice in an underserved community. After her schooling at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA, Dr. K. was placed in Appalachia in a small community in West Virginia during her service years. After her three years of service, she stayed on for 17 more years because she felt that her mission was not yet finished.
Dr. K’s husband, Michael Kirk, was also called to the medical field and currently practices with Dr. Soraruf for Penn Medicine in Unionville. The couple moved back to Chester County to be closer to family roots. Dr. Kirk is from the Kennett Square area. His father was a rector at the Church of the Advent for many years. Now back in Pennsylvania, Dr. K. is less than two hours away from her family who still lives in her hometown of Jim Thorpe, and she also has family in West Chester.
Dr. K. has been with LCH since the Oxford site opened on December 9, 2015. She has a strong appreciation for the community that LCH is serving. “In the short time that I have worked at the LCH Oxford Community Health Center, I have been impressed with the fortitude and spirit of the community. I believe that it takes courage to do your best in the face of the daily challenges that many people that we serve face. These are extraordinary people who quietly do their best for their community and families despite hardships and barriers,”said Dr. K.
The LCH Board of Directors is thrilled to have Dr. K. on the LCH team. “We share and are delighted in Dr. K.’s passion and commitment. She is bringing the energy of LCH to Oxford,” said Paul Huberty, LCH Board Chair. Dr. K. remarked that the enthusiasm for the LCH mission is infectious and inspiring. “I have found kindred spirits,” she said.
The LCH Oxford Community Health Center provides primary, acute, and chronic care to the underserved Oxford community. Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurances are accepted. Those without insurance are charged on a sliding scale fee based on the federal poverty level, but no one is turned away due to inability to pay. Dr. K. is supported by bilingual staff, allowing for the ability to serve patients in both English and Spanish.
Dr. K. is eager to contribute to Oxford. “I look forward to learning more about the community and doing whatever I can to keep those in my care healthy and to help them live well.”
