Residents of all ages in Franklin County have a new physician they can see, and he is one of their own.
Dr. Tyler Schmutzler begins seeing patients this week at WellSpan Family Medicine – Philadelphia Avenue in Chambersburg. He specializes in internal medicine and pediatric care.
“I want to be able to take care of patients no matter how old they might be, in any situation possible,” said Dr. Schmutzler. “I think it’s going to be a good asset to the community, to have someone trained specifically in pediatrics.”
Dr. Schmutzler is a Chambersburg-native who attended Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, before earning his bachelor’s degree at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. After graduating, Dr. Schmutzler spent three years teaching foreign language at Chambersburg Area Senior High School.
“After three years of teaching, I decided that I wanted to follow my dream of going into medicine,” said Dr. Schmutzler. “Medicine had been a passion of mine for my entire life, and I realized that it was now or never. So, while I hated leaving Central Pennsylvania, I knew it was time to start my journey.”
Dr. Schmutzler left the area to pursue his dream of a career in medicine. He earned his doctorate degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada and then completed a four-year residency in both internal medicine and pediatrics at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey.
This month, Dr. Schmutzler moved back to the area to begin seeing patients in the Franklin County region.
“One thing I know from growing up here is that folks in Chambersburg value having someone who grew up in the area,” said Dr. Schmutzler. “I was born and raised here. I can’t wait to get started with WellSpan and give back to the community that has given so much to me.”
While his time teaching in a classroom is now behind him, Dr. Schmutzler says education will always be a top priority for him.
“Educating my patients is so important, and I believe the only way to truly take care of yourself is to understand why something is being done,” said Dr. Schmutzler. “Instead of telling people, ‘I’m going to start you on this medication,’ I want to tell my patients why I’m making that decision and what they should be looking out for when it comes to their health. I want my patients to understand that their safety and health is at the forefront of the decisions I’m making, and that we can then work together in order to improve their health moving forward.”
Dr. Schmutzler is the first WellSpan-specific pediatrician in Franklin County. WellSpan Health will also continue to work with Keystone Pediatrics in Chambersburg to provide general and specialized medical care for children and young adults in the Franklin County area.
The doctors and advanced practice clinicians at WellSpan Family Medicine – Philadelphia Avenue are specialists in preventative care, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses. The practice is open Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
New and existing patients can book an appointment using your MyWellSpan account.
