Dr. Cathy Burbidge, who lives in Lorena and had been at the Hillcrest Clinic in Bellmead, began seeing patients at her new office at the recently opened Providence Clinic Highway 84 West, 27487 U.S. Highway 84, since Dec. 1.

Burbidge said she hopes to help fill a need for McGregor health care. The town has been without a doctor since the Scott & White Health System closed its McGregor clinic in August month as a cost-cutting move.

"We're certainly hoping to draw in McGregor as one of our big patient populations," Burbidge said. "We felt like there was a need in this area we could fill."

----Attracting clients----

Burbidge said her clients come from Hewitt, Lorena, McGregor, Crawford, China Spring, Bruceville-Eddy, Waco, Bellmead and Gatesville.

"We're hoping to attract from all over," she said. "Being right here, we felt like we could attract from all the outlying areas."

The clinic's waiting room is bright and airy, with a front window that takes up nearly the whole wall. Abstract and impressionist art is on the other walls. Other homey touches are the silver modern art lamps and the beautiful wooden door that looks like it belongs on a home rather than a doctor's office.

The building, owned by H&B Contractors, was occupied by several businesses over the years, although its first occupant was, ironically, a doctor.

"The exam rooms are huge," Burbidge said. "Much bigger than any you go in now."

Five exam rooms, a lab area and a room that will eventually be used for taking X-rays are in the clinic. The clinic currently uses a mobile X-ray unit. "Obviously, we're family medicine. We welcome everything from newborn babies all the way up to geriatrics," she said. "I do hope to expand the pediatric part of my practice."

Burbidge, 37, has been in the Waco area since 1998.

She lives in Lorena with her husband, Mike, and their five children — Lindsey, 17; Jared, 16; Caitlyn, 13; Brandon, 11; and Bailey, 8 months old.

"The whole family's been excited (about the new clinic)," she said.

She said they love the location — with the new neighborhoods being built in the area, the surrounding businesses and great parking for patients.

Burbidge received her undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville. She went to medical school at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and did her residency at Charlton Methodist Hospital in Dallas.

She grew up south of Dallas and spent a lot of time driving through Central Texas to see her husband, who was an Army doctor at Fort Hood.

"Central Texas was kind of the meeting place," she said.

Not too much later, they decided to make it home.

Her husband will join the practice next fall, she said. He did flight physicals as an Army doctor and hopes to attract some business from the McGregor Executive Airport across the highway.

Currently, Burbidge is taking walk-ins. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. She is hoping to be open on some Saturdays in the future. The office number is 848-7474.