CALLAWAY – The South Loup Pharmacy has long been a staple of the Callaway community, but on Friday morning, it made it official: the institution, at 11 a.m. on May 12, became the newest member of the Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
While a long-standing part of Callaway’s community, the pharmacy has only recently come under the umbrella of the Callaway District Hospital, and Chief Financial Officer Brett Eggleston, on hand for the celebration, said that the hospital’s involvement only strengthens the quality of life for Callaway residents.
“It’s such an important link. We have the hospital, the medical clinic, the nursing home, and the PT clinic here in town; you’ve got to have that retail pharmacy as the last link in the healthcare chain. We’re really excited to be able to do that for everybody.”
Eggleston, with his roughly 8 years in his role, said that renewing the pharmacy’s presence in Callaway aligns perfectly with the ultimate objective of the hospital: to keep everything nearby.
“That’s our goal and our mission every day: to be a one-stop shop. We want to do everything we can for our patients locally so they don’t have to travel.”
Callaway Chamber President Ken Pitkin emphasized his community’s reciprocated excitement for the pharmacy’s ongoing services through its Chamber of Commerce membership in his remarks before the ribbon was snipped.
“We are thrilled to have the pharmacy in town. It’s great to have it locally owned, and we’re proud of our hospital and medical facilities. Thanks for serving our community, and formally: welcome to the Chamber of Commerce.”
The ribbon cutting, either by chance or by choice, happened to fall on the final day of Hospital Appreciation Week; the pharmacy and hospital offered a two-for-one deal on celebrations.
After the ribbon was cut, and the clouds had broken in the face of the 6-plus inches of rain received over the past week, the crowd migrated to the clinic, where lunch was provided by the tireless staff of the pharmacy and hospital.
The South Loup Pharmacy is currently open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in its same reliable location on East Pacific Street in Callaway.
