Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) closed its doors in mid-August, weeks ahead of its planned Sept. 1 shutdown, after a delay in federal reimbursements forced clinic Director Tracy McNew to close early. A skeleton crew of staff stayed on to field calls while awaiting further direction from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which oversaw the clinic’s grant. In the weeks since, former patients seeking their medical records have filled the clinic’s voicemail box with requests.
Since the early 2000s, when Libby became ground zero for one of the largest public health disasters in U.S. history, CARD had provided screenings and research on asbestos exposure, logging nearly 15,000 screenings for both new and returning patients since 2011 alone. The clinic’s closure follows the CDC’s decision earlier this year not to renew its $3 million federal grant.
In a Sept. 2 Facebook post, CARD staff gave patients an update: the clinic now has a designated medical records custodian, Clary Document Management, a Minnesota-based organization that stores records for closing clinics and retiring physicians.
“We know many of you have been patiently waiting for information about how to access your records following CARD’s closure, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this transition,” clinic staff said in the post.
Medical records can be requested by calling (763) 548-1320 or filling out an online HIPAA-compliant form here, which carries a $10 processing fee.
Zoë Buhrmaster here. Let’s shuttle into the rest of the daily roundup.
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After Generations of Asbestos Exposure, Sickened Libby Residents Wonder Where to Turn for Care After Clinic Closure
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease has served as the small town’s screening clinic for more than two decades, offering care during one of the largest public health disasters in U.S. history. After filing for bankruptcy and losing a federal grant to continue funding its services, the clinic will close permanently at the end of August.
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