Health clinicdecision possible on Tuesday

The board of directors of the Family Health Clinic of Cowlitz County may make a decision next Tuesday on acquiring the financially troubled Wahkiakum Family Health Clinic.

In May, Wahkiakum County commissioners asked Cowlitz health clinic Director Dian Cooper to consider acquiring the clinic. Since then, Cowlitz clinic financial advisors have been analyzing the feasibility of operating the clinic.

The final financial analysis is due this week, Cooper said Tuesday. She hopes to have the information to the clinic's board of directors for a discussion and decision at the board's meeting July 28.

The Cowlitz clinic's initial analysis showed it would need $100,000 to break even, and she and others thought that was close enough to consider the matter further.

Federally funded health clinics offer full primary care services, she said. However, some services would be discontinued if the Cowlitz clinic took over the clinic in Cathlamet. For example, they don't do on site X rays, she said; they don't do orthopedics, and they send out most lab work.