Tioga County, Pa. – Laurel Health Centers’ care team continues to grow as Steven Heffner, DC, joins as a rehabilitation and chiropractic care provider in Mansfield and Elkland, and James Biery, PA-C joins the Wellsboro and Mansfield locations.
Dr. Heffner will see patients at the Elkland Laurel Health Center and the Laurel Health and Wellness Center, 40 West Wellsboro Street, Mansfield. He brings 35 years of experience in rehabilitation and chiropractic care to address and improve mobility issues, chronic pain, and joint health.
First drawn to chiropractic care after its role in rehabilitating a baseball injury in his youth, Dr. Heffner is passionate about ensuring all patients have access to high-quality chiropractic care, especially in rural areas like Tioga County. He specializes in the McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), an acclaimed assessment and treatment program that uses comprehensive assessments to identify and address a wide range of back, neck, and limb issues. Through MDT, Dr. Heffner can classify whether an issue is musculoskeletal (MSK) or systemic and collaborate with the patient’s primary care provider to customize the treatment regimen.
“The goal of this method is not only to resolve pain and correct dysfunction, but to keep patients pain-free through self-assessment, phases of care, and ongoing treatment tools,” Dr. Heffner explains. “Because patients play an active role in their own care through the McKenzie Method, it is able to be used during telemedicine visits for patients who are unable to be treated onsite during COVID-19.”
Dr. Heffner received his bachelor’s degree from Mansfield University, completed post-graduate studies at Penn State University in State College, and earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree (DC) from Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia.
Prior to joining the Laurel Health Centers, he served as director of a 17-clinic system in Chicago and has spent the last 21 years working with Laurel Health System, Susquehanna Health, and UPMC. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 40 years and their family, fly fishing, golf, jogging, and continuing his education around diagnosing and treating MSK pain.
To make an appointment with Dr. Heffner, call (570) 662-1974 for the Mansfield office or (814) 258-5117 for Elkland. Both traditional onsite appointments and telemedicine visits are available.
James Bierly will serve the Mansfield Laurel Health Center at 416 South Main Street and the Wellsboro location at 7 Water Street as a physician assistant. He is passionate about building lifelong relationships with patients through family medicine and community outreach.
“When I was working in specialty offices, I often saw patients only for a brief period of time to offer treatment and found that I missed the patient relationships you build in primary care and feeling connected to the community as a whole. Laurel Health’s mission and values mirror my own. I’m excited to get back to treating patients through all periods of their lives and furthering our goals of improving community wellness.”
James received his education from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, graduating with honors. Prior to joining Laurel Health, he worked in otolaryngology (ENT) specialty offices at UPMC and Guthrie. He also currently serves on the board of directors for Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services, Inc in Sayre.
From a young age, he knew he wanted to help people and describes family medicine as the missing puzzle piece in his healthcare career.
“When reflecting on my life and career, I realized the unique patient relationships and community roots associated with serving in family medicine was the missing puzzle piece. I want to support families through all stages of life and the many varied health questions and concerns we all face as we age.”
James is accepting new patients. To make an appointment with James, call (570) 724-1010 for the Wellsboro office or (570) 662-2002 for Mansfield. All Laurel Health locations are offering both onsite and telemedicine visits to ensure patients receive the care they need quickly and safely.
To learn more about Laurel Health’s family medicine and specialty services, visit laurelhc.org.
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