Clinic opening to new patients, plans improvements

Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic will open to new patients again on April 21, Business Manager Kathy Patterson announced Tuesday.

During the fall and early winter, Dr. Wright and Nurse Practitioners Margie Godfrey and Betsy Johnson had all they could handle just taking care of established patients.

With a change to the clinic schedule, they are now able to accommodate new patients. The clinic accepts cash patients and patients with contracted insurance plans. Those who have insurance that is not contracted with the clinic may be seen as cash patients. The clinic can provide a statement to submit to their insurance for reimbursement. A sliding fee schedule is available to lower income households.

In the past, individuals who wished to establish care at the clinic requested their medical records in advance of approval as new patients. WFPC wishes to streamline the new patient process at this time and is removing that requirement. Appointments are still required for all office visits and are subject to availability.

In order to focus more fully on the medical needs of Wahkiakum County, WFPC clinicians plan on limiting their practice to the clinic and nursing home only, effective March 1.

The national trend among family physicians is to care for their own local patients and allow the doctors at the nearest hospital to care for their patients while they are in the hospital. When patients are well enough to leave the hospital, they are returned to their own doctor’s care.

This is the model Wahkiakum Family Practice will follow as well, Patterson said. In addition to greater efficiency for the clinicians, this change will allow them to see more patients, reduce the expenses of the clinic by $45,000, and bring the clinic closer to economic success.