Even though permanent furnishings haven’t yet to arrive, OU Physicians opened a new clinic Monday that will offer primary care to patients in Norman.

Holly Adams, OU Physicians executive director of operations, said Norman was an ideal place to open a clinic because a large number of OU employees live in the area.

“It is important we offer good care for our employees,” Adams said. “By growing primary care, we build convenience when or if a patient ever needs specialized care.”

The clinic, located at 1139 N.W. 36th Ave., Suite 110, had six scheduled appointments upon opening, said Darla Hale, clinic manager.

“They [OU Physicians] wanted to open the doors for business and we are just real excited to be in the Norman area,” Hale said.

Lubna Wani, the primary doctor at the clinic, is a board-certified internist. Adams said she hired Wani because she thinks highly of her and the way she interacts with patients.

“She’s amazing, compassionate and connects with patients,” Adams said.

Wani said she is very happy to be opening and running a clinic in Norman.

“I live in Norman, and it is a dream come true to work in my community,” Wani said. “I like being part of a community that I am close with and live in.”

The clinic will be open five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will have lunchtime appointments available so patients do not miss work, Wani said.

“I want to concentrate on the clinic and make sure that patients come first and I will try to see them everyday to accommodate their schedule,” Wani said.

Wani said there are a few appointments scheduled for next week, but she will spend the majority of the week setting up the clinic and getting things organized.

Permanent furniture has been ordered and will arrive within a month.

Before moving to Oklahoma for a fellowship at the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Wani, who is originally from India, worked in the medical field in New York, Connecticut and Missouri.

The clinic is overseen by OU Physicians at the OU Health Sciences Center. OU Physicians is made up of more than 400 doctors and is the state’s largest physician group. It includes a variety of specialties for adults and children, according to a press release.

Adams said patients who use OU Physicians for primary care will be guaranteed access to specialists should they ever need them.

Within a year, the Norman clinic will use electronic medical records that connect all OU Physicians’ patients in a digital health care network, Adams said.

“This allows connections to specialists and the ability to share info in emergency situations,” Adams said.

She said this is beneficial because if a patient at the Norman clinic ever has an immediate injury, they will be able to automatically access their records at OU Medical Center and be able to treat them more efficiently with better care.

“Should folks need a specialist, we can get them that help quickly,” Adams said.

OU Physicians plans to expand their primary care clinics in the future. These plans include adding more doctors to the Norman practice and opening clinics in other cities, Adams said.

“It is very exciting that OU Physicians has [the expansion] in their plans for the future,” Wani said. “OU Physicians has so many super specialists who can offer services to patients.”