Medical facility makes it into Bossier City

Highland Clinic is expanding into Bossier City to better serve the community on the Red River’s east side.

The new, 5,000-square-foot facility at 5025 Shed Road, just off Interstate 220, offers state-of-the-art technology in allergy, asthma and clinical immunology; ear, nose and throat orthopedics and OB/ GYN.

“We wanted to have a presence in Bossier City for a while, but the timing was never right,” said Debbie W. Smith, chief executive officer for Highland Clinic. “We needed to have a presence in that part of the community to better serve Bossier City, Benton, Haughton and Minden.”

Dr. Gordon Mead, chairman of the board at the clinic for 20 years, said this move is reminiscent of when Highland added the clinic in south Shreveport.

“Many of our patients through the years have come from the Bossier City area and east of Bossier,” Mead said. “We wanted to provide easier access to our medical care by establishing a location nearer to them. Expanding into Bossier is similar to south Shreveport. We were down on Highland Avenue, along with Highland Hospital. We found our patients were coming from south Shreveport and farther away, and that’s what we are doing in Bossier.”

Many of the specialists who will practice at the new clinic say the additional location will be more convenient for many patients.

“I love it,” said Dr. Gonzolo Alvarez, a board-certified allergist. “I am sure a lot of people will like the convenience of being near the office. I have many patients who live in Bossier who are getting their asthma and allergy treatments in Shreveport. This will make things more convenient for people.”

Orthopedist Dr. Timothy Talbert started his practice in Minden. He also is excited to return to an area he says is undeserved on orthopedics.

“I think it’s going to be a lot more convenient,” he said. “Some people have a hard time driving to south Shreveport. Benton and north Bossier are one of the fastest-growing areas in Louisiana. They need medical care. We thought Highland Clinic needed a presence there.”

Talbert said all the orthopedic services available at Highland Clinic in Shreveport will be available in Bossier City, including sports injuries.

“There’s nothing we can’t do in Bossier that we do in Shreveport,” Talbert said.

“We plan to tap in and support high school sports and other sports in the area. I think it’s going to be great. We can provide much better service to that community, and we will be rewarded for it. I think it’s a winwin for everyone.”

Alvarez said he is eager to help new and existing patients get more out of life.

“I am very excited that I will be able to have a broader area of influence,” he said. “We can make people breathe better and go back to what they love without suffering from allergies.”

In addition to the medical specialities, the new clinic in Bossier City also has its own lab and X-ray services. That, and consolidated medical records, add to the convenience for patients. And the new clinic has room to grow, Smith said.

“As we outgrow that building, we will add on, which will be really exciting,” she said. “We built it in a way that we could expand. It could be as large as (the Shreveport) facility. I think the need is going to dictate how much it grows.”

Smith said there has been talk about expanding into Bossier City for a while. She said the administration and the doctors agreed that this was a good time to make a move.

“We’re in the business of taking care of patients,” Smith said. “We were being led to go to Bossier. That’s where the need really was. When you talk about expanding your footprint, Bossier was a natural extension of that.”

Highland Clinic’s specialty clinic in Bossier City is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit highlandclinic.com or call (318) 798-4500.