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The health clinic, one year later...

On June 5 the Point Roberts Aydon Wellness Clinic will celebrate its first year with speeches, refreshments and tours of the community health facility. The clinic is a collaborative effort between the Point Roberts Pioneers group, the Interfaith Community Health Clinic in Bellingham and the local fire department, funded through a federal grant and patient fees. Since last June nurse practitioner Virginia Lester has treated everything from spider bites to heart attacks in the clinic, and we asked her to look back on the clinic’s first year and how that might reflect on its future.

You started with zero a year ago. How many patients does the clinic serve today?

The clinic presently has about 500 charts. This means that any person who comes here for services completes information and a chart is opened for them. This protects us legally. I don’t know how many of them have been to the clinic for repeat visits; however, we have had approximately 1,000 clinic visits.

About how many people would the clinic need to serve to become self-sufficient and do you feel that would be feasible within the term of the current grant?

The clinic would need between 2,000 and 3,000 patients to completely be self-sufficient. At no time did the granting agency or any of the organizers of the clinic believe the clinic would ever be able to stand alone. This was the reason for partnering with Interfaith Community Health Center. Interfaith has reassured the board that they will continue the clinic here, however, they will need community support, i.e. dollars. Grants are difficult to come by as you may well know. Donations give out over time and large sums of money are not often available.

What kinds of care make up most of the clinic’s business and how have community needs changed your perception of the kind of services you need to offer? What service do you provide that you find your patients aren’t expecting?

I have seen all ages and sexes. I have treated a variety of chronic and acute illnesses. Many patients have come in for a brief visit/urgent care problem and then have decided to transfer care here. Many patients have complicated health problems and when needed I have referred them to a specialist for care however; they return here for ongoing care.
I believe having medications here and/or the availability to have them shipped here has helped a lot of patients.

One of our limitations is X-rays which we do not have and I am unable to justify that concept. Over the year we have needed approximately 12 X-rays on an emergency basis. The cost of equipment and personnel trained to operate the equipment probably could never be justified for only 12 patients.

What do you see as the most pressing need for additional services at the clinic, outside your scope, such as optical, dental, counseling etc.?

It is my opinion that, in general, dental services are in short supply for everyone but especially for people who do not have insurance or the financial means to pay. I also believe patients would benefit from a regular psychological counselor and perhaps a nutritional counselor. Optical care is fairly easy to find. I am hoping in the fall to start a program for children and teens to provide them with the nutritional information for good health.

It has been suggested the clinic could evolve into a emergency medical care center. Do you think this is feasible or an appropriate direction for the clinic to grow?

There is a very great difference between an urgent/emergency care and family care/practice. They are two completely different entities. Generally, what happens when an emergency occurs in an area with all different types of medical care, the patient who has a problem may be in a family practice office. He suffers a heart attack and the ambulance is called and the patient is taken to the hospital where he can receive appropriate care. The same is true for accidents where bones are broken, etc. This location, in my opinion, would not have enough need for an emergency type care center for similar reasons as X-rays. We have a very qualified competent EMS system here where patients are able to be transported in 45 minutes or less to a very good acute hospital. That is probably better than in some areas of greater Bellingham. The EMS concept is accepted all over the country and we are very lucky to have this service here.

How can community members help the clinic succeed?

The last question is answered by support the clinic. I would like to know more what people think of the clinic and if they do not approve of it, why? What do they want? We will try to meet the needs of everyone as much as possible.

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