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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPayette Lakes Medical ClinicThe Star-News 5/29/2008 New hospital clinic opens more space, consolidates doctors BY LUCIA V KNUDSON The Star -News The new medical clinic that opened in McCall on Tuesday promises more convenience for internal medicine patients as well as expanding space for fam- ily care physicians. McCall Medical Clinics has 5,400 square feet of space and is adjacent to Payette Lakes Medical Clinic on Forest Street across the parking lot from McCall Memo- rial Hospital. The clinic is owned by the hospital, which has relocated its internal medicine department to the buildingfrom the Long Valley Medical Clinic. The hospital also leases space in the building to the privately owned Payette Lakes Medical Clinic for three of its family practice doctors. "Patients can see their inter- nal medicine physician and get lab work done atone location and visit, "hospital spokesman Laura Paul said. The new building features: • 12 patient exam rooms. • Seven physician offices. • One medical procedures room. • Two laboratories • One reception area for inter- nal medicine patients. Three family medicine physi- cians plus their assistants staff the building in addition to two internal medicine physicians plus their attending staff. Three mid- levelproviders also will work in the new clinic. Later this sum- mer, a general surgeon will also see patients there. Family practice doctors lo- cated at the new building are Sarah Curtin, Caitlin Gustafson and Terri Mucha. Internal medicine doctors are David Burica and Marcia Witte, and the mid -level providers are Physicians assistants Dan Hyde, Christine Hall and Jackie Tur- nipseed- Aymon. The total cost of the building, which includes construction, land, medical equipment, furni- ture and landscaping, was about $2 million. Patients will be better served because of extra exam rooms which relieve congestion and provide greater flexibility in scheduling visiting specialty doctors, Paul said. "There are other benefits to the hospital that indirectly support patient care: cleaning, maintaining and supplying a centralized location, and snow removal, IT support for example — are more efficient," she said. Sa,k 64,01-4 s /�/b g Star -News Photo by Lucia V. Knudson Mary Benson of McCall, left, chats with physician assistant Jackie Turnipseed -Aymon at the new McCall Medical Clinics building. The Star-News 5/18/2009 Medical clinic wants St. Luke's to run business operations BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Payette Lakes Medical Clinic is talking to St. Luke's Regional Medical Center about using the services of St. Luke's, the .clinic's president said Monday. Preliminary talks are underway to see how St. Luke's can help streamline patient billing, medical record- keeping and employee management, clinic president Dr. Dan Ostermiller said. Payette Lakes Medical Clinic is located across the parking lot from McCall Memorial Hospital. The clinic is a private corporation, but has had a contract with McCall Memorial for the last 12 years to provide management services. "We want to focus more on patient care and less on running the business," Ostermiller said. There are services that could be provided more efficiently by St. Luke's, and the larger hospital is better equipped to keep up with the constant updates in health -care regulations, he said. See CLINIC, Page A -8 Clinic (Continued from Pag e A-1) "When 1 came here 22 years ago, billing was easier," Oster- miller said. "Now you can't keep up with the changes." The talks between Luke's and the clinic could take six months or mo the extent. of the pot ential partnership is not yet k he said. There are nine physicians, one physician's assista nt and two nurse practitioners w ho work at the clinic. PLMC also operates satel- lite clinics in New Meadows and Riggins. The Donnelly clinic, operated jointly with hospital, closed on May 1, and the PLMC's Council satellite clinic will close May 31. St. The various clinics saw 21,070 patients in 2008 com- re, and pared to 21,153 patients in 2007. known, a The partnership that owns the business side of PLMC includes Ostermiller and Drs. Jim Dardis, Scott Harris Dave Hall and Julie Welty. (Continued from Pag e A-1) "When 1 came here 22 years ago, billing was easier," Oster- miller said. "Now you can't keep up with the changes." The talks between Luke's and the clinic could take six months or mo the extent. of the pot ential partnership is not yet k he said. There are nine physicians, one physician's assista nt and two nurse practitioners w ho work at the clinic. PLMC also operates satel- lite clinics in New Meadows and Riggins. The Donnelly clinic, operated jointly with hospital, closed on May 1, and the PLMC's Council satellite clinic will close May 31. St. The various clinics saw 21,070 patients in 2008 com- re, and pared to 21,153 patients in 2007. known, a The Star-News 11/25/2009 Payette Lakes Medical Clinic to merge with St. Luke's Patients will see no difference in care after Jan. l changeover BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Payette Lakes Medical Clinic in McCall will become part of St. Luke's Health System, based in Boise, start- ing Jan. 1. The nine doctors and two dozen other staffers who work at the clinic will become employees of St. Luke's, adding to more than 300 other physicians in the region who are partners with St. Luke's, a news release said. The motivation for the merger is to provide patients the benefits "our of the business office of St. Luke's and to take business decisions off patients can the doctors, said Dr. Terri Mucha, the clinic's medical director. continue . "We will continue beingthe same physicians providingthe same qual to expect ity care for our patients," Mucha the same said. "The foremost consideration in this change of ownership was care they how we can improve patient access while ensuring an efficient work always have environment for physicians." The clinic will continue ac- received." cepting the insurance providers it currently accepts, and fees for — Dr. Jim services will not increase as a result of the transition, she said. Dardis "We are pleased to partner witIMM, " said John Kee, St. Luke's vice president of physician services. "It is a clinic distinguished by its devotion to the community, the quality of the care provided there and its excellent physicians." The nine physicians working at the clinic will continue staffingthe emergency room at McCall Memorial Hospital after the merger is completed Jan. 1. Also, Meadows Valley Medical Clinic in New Meadows and Salmon River Medical Clinic in Riggins, which are operated by Payette Lakes, will also become St. Luke's physician clinics. "Our patients can continue to expect the same care they always have received, that has been and will continue to be our commitment to them," said Dr. Jim Dardis, a family practice physician at the clinic. ��L&44 IIl9e /f, Payette Lakes Medical Clinic to merge with St. Luke's (Continued from Page A -1) The clinic is located across the parking lot from the hospital on Park Street. The building was opened in 2000 when the clinic moved across the street from its previous quarters which is now known as the Allen- Nokes Center. The hospital purchased the previous clinic building and renovated it to house var- ious offices and services. The current clinic build- ing is owned by Dardis, Dr. Dave Hall, Dr. Scott Harris andDr. Dan Ostermiller. The four will lease the building to St. Luke's. The clinic saw 21,070 pa- tients in 2008 compared with 19,458 patients in 2000. Referrals will continue to be sent to the most appropri- ate specialist and will not be affected by the merger with St. Luke's, Mucha said. St. Luke's also has a man- agement agreement with McCall Memorial Hospital. As part of that agreement, St. Luke's employs hospital CEO Lee Rhodes and pro- vides a variety of services to the hospital. Officials of St. Luke's and the McCall hospital have begun formal meetings on expanding the partnership, but no agreement has been reached.