Dr. Andrew Burchett Begins at the
Larchwood Medical Clinic
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by Jill Funke
From the time he was young, Andrew Burchett wanted to be a doctor. As he grew up in Harlan, Iowa, Andrew remembers being fascinated by his family’s physician, Doc Spearing. Until retirement, Doc Spearing delivered most of the members of Andrew’s family and cared for them for a number of years. Looking at Doc Spearing as his example, Andrew decided to become a physician. However, in the first weeks of college, Andrew discovered that pre-med would be a difficult road. To ease his mind about his career selection, he spent eight weeks with Doc Spearing. That time period was exciting and made Andrew realize his passion for medicine. During the challenges that accompanied medical school, he reflected upon his time with Doc Spearing to keep him focused on his goal. Looking back at those memorable eight weeks, Andrew says that it was the experiences he had with Doc Spearing that lead him to his specialty of family medicine. Caring for the needs of families was what he had waited for, and Andrew was grateful to have such a great mentor and role model in Doc Spearing.
After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from the University of Iowa, Andrew went on to complete medical school at Des Moines University. He fulfilled his residency requirements at Sioux Falls Family Medicine, and became acquainted with a number of specialists in the area. When he heard about the position at the Larchwood Medical Clinic, he knew that practicing family medicine in a town like Larchwood would be ideal. Earlier in September, he began taking patients and getting to know the people of the community.
Dr. Burchett feels that being a physician is extremely rewarding. While in family practice, every day is different and brings its own challenges, yet Dr. Burchett is moved by the wonderful experiences that he has on a daily basis as a physician. Caring for the needs of families means that he delivers babies and has the privilege of watching those babies grow, as well as caring for the health of their loved ones. He is also present and holding the hands of family in the last moments of life.
Practicing in Larchwood and Harrisburg, South Dakota, Dr. Burchett says that he will work diligently to meet the needs of people in both communities. Considering the sizes of both areas, he is glad that community members have access to quality medical services close to where they live. Dr. Burchett is excited to provide a continuity of care from the hometown clinics, and he hopes that by living in Sioux Falls with his wife and being affiliated with the Avera network, he can serve as a link between the two areas and the larger hospital and health system.
Even though he has only been at the clinic for a few weeks, Dr. Burchett says that he is very pleased with his new position. The people have been extremely nice, and he appreciates how helpful the staff and everyone have been. In addition to the hiring of Dr. Burchett, the Larchwood Medical Clinic recently began an affiliation with McGreevy Clinic in Sioux Falls that is having a positive impact on patients and the community. Now, the Larchwood Medical Clinic can accept the Sioux Valley Health Plan. In addition, the functions of billing and scheduling will be handled through McGreevy, thus freeing up staff at the Larchwood Medical Clinic to concentrate on patient care. To better accommodate the busy schedules of patients, the Larchwood Medical Clinic will now be open every weekday from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., and will stay open until 7:00p.m. on Tuesdays. Dr. Burchett will see patients on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Nurse Practitioner Carol Nielsen will continue to provide service Monday through Friday, and Dr. Beckstrand will still be in the office the second and fourth Wednesday mornings of each month.