In the Friday, Nov. 4, edition of The Humboldt Sun newspaper, writer Margaret Morris expressed her frustration at not being able to use Humboldt General Hospital's Walk-In Clinic as a "primary care physician" and, subsequently, at not being able to find a primary care physician who will take Medicare.
As the CEO/Administrator at Humboldt General Hospital, please accept this letter as a reply to Mrs. Morris' concerns regarding local medical care and the Medicare program. While I cannot speak for private practice physicians and their reasons for not participating in the Medicare program, I can address how Humboldt General Hospital is attempting to serve all of Humboldt County, including Medicare recipients.
At HGH, we currently employ six primary care providers. Dr. Shouping Li and Dr. Sharon McIntyre are full-time physicians who both take care of Medicare patients. Lisa Jonkey, Ladonna Reyka and Sandra Deveny are full-time Advanced Nurse Practitioners, who also take care of Medicare patients. Karen Wright, M.D. is a part-time physician in The Walk-In Clinic who sees Medicare patients on a short-term acute basis.
The Walk-In Clinic was designed and still functions in a short-term acute capacity. It was designed as a convenient option for patients with minor acute conditions so they would not have to seek care in the emergency room. It was never intended to provide a replacement for a primary care provider. The best care for the patient is to establish care with a primary care provider who knows the patient and manages the patient over time.
Humboldt General Hospital continues to recruit for primary care providers. Dr. Soon Kim, Humboldt General Hospital's Chief of Staff, and I recently interviewed two Family Practice/OB physicians who may be interested in moving to Winnemucca. We also interviewed a Family Practice physician who would like to work in The Walk-In Clinic. All of these physicians would be employed by the hospital and would take Medicare.
That being said, the citizens of Humboldt County have more access to healthcare today than they have had for many years, and I encourage Mrs. Morris and any others in her situation to establish care with Dr. Li, Dr. McIntyre or with one of our Advanced Nurse Practitioners. I would be happy to assist any of our residents in making an appointment.
For further questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call at (775) 623-5222, ext. 123.
Jim Parrish, FACHE, FACMPE, is CEO/Administrator of Humboldt General Hospital.
[[In-content Ad]]
