By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

St. Luke Medical Clinic’s newest physician is a familiar face. Casey McNeil already has spent a year and a half working in the emergency room at the hospital.

A Wellington native, McNeil completed a bachelor’s degree in biology at Washburn University and then a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Kansas.

He spent three years teaching biology at Newman University in Wichita before he enrolled at the University of Kansas school of medicine, graduating in 2019.

While doing a family medicine residency at Smoky Hill Family Medicine program in Salina, he worked in St. Luke’s emergency room.

McNeil’s residency also included rotations in clinics and obstetrics and working with hospitalized patients.

His wife, Ashlee, a pharmacist, is staying home with the couple’s two young daughters.

The couple found Marion appealing because it is close to Ashlee’s family in north Wichita but away from problems that go with living in a big city.

McNeil said Marion’s school system, size, amenities, community support for education, and friendliness made the town a great fit.

He also enjoys seeing many deer running around.

The work ethic he sees around him impress him, he said.

“Everybody here wears multiple hats,” he said. “People seem to do that joyfully. Nobody complains about that.”

Since beginning work at St. Luke Clinic, he’s seen patients who remember him from the emergency room.

“I think our hospital offers a lot of services people don’t expect,” McNeil said.

Mammograms and CT and ultrasound scans can be obtained locally. So can specialists who have outreach clinics at St. Luke.

He likes being able to offer Botox treatment for migraine headaches. Often, other physicians use Botox treatment for cosmetic purposes.

Rural residents used to have longer life spans than urban residents. Now that is changing, he said.

“I think a large part of that is preventative care, like cancer screening,” he said.

Having a relationship with a physician the patient knows helps in accessing preventative care, he said.

McNeil sees patients 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.