The Flathead Community Health Center will open a satellite office in Hungry Horse on May 26, bringing much-needed preventative medical care to Bad Rock Canyon.
According to health center Director Jody White, the goal is to increase access to health care. The clinic will be open on Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will offer family medical services, such as treatment of acute and chronic illness, minor injuries, lab services, well-child visits, immunizations, sports physicals, family planning, prescription assistance, and minor surgical procedures.
White said the office will only be open once a week in the beginning, but that could change if there is demand for more days.
The clinic will be located at the Canyon Elementary School site, which closed school operations in 2011 and has since been used for community gatherings and events.
Opening a clinic in the Canyon has been on the health center’s priority list for a while now, White said, due to the distance from other health care facilities in the valley’s cities.
“There’s limited transportation options outside of your own vehicle or a neighbor giving you a ride,” White said. “We had an opportunity with the school district to use the building and it all came together.”
There will be a physician on staff initially, White said, as a way to gauge the baseline needs of the community. The doctor will be joined by a nurse and a receptionist.
White also said a behavioral health specialist will be available as needed.
Though the clinic won’t offer explicit emergency services, given that it will only be open one day a week to start, White said having it there will help work toward more preventative care, and possibly toward reducing those emergency visits.
“We find people who don’t have access to care they’ll let things go and go and go,” she said. “Our objective is access and making sure people get quality care.”
As another large piece of the access issue, payment will be the same format as at the Flathead Community Health Center: Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurances are accepted, and medical services are also offered on a sliding fee scale based on household income.
“We have very generous payment options if someone can’t afford medical services,” White said.
There will be a presentation on the new clinic at the Canyon Community Dinner on Thursday, April 28 at the elementary school. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., and White will give an information presentation and answer questions about the clinic.
For more information about the Flathead Community Health Center, visit www.flatheadhealth.org or call 406-751-8113.