Clinic an important piece to health care

Editor's Notebook
Mary Powell

Nearly seven years to the date it was founded, the Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic is set to move from its original quarters to an office more conducive to conducting medical business and has more than double the space.

It's a dream come true for those who have continued to support and serve the clinic, and it keeps the dream alive for founder Mary Griffith, who realized those seven years ago the need for a nonprofit free clinic in the Sequim area.

At a time when a presidential election is taking most of the top headlines, a clinic move may not appear to be very big news. But it is and here's why.

Access to quality and affordable health care is particularly tenuous in rural communities. It stands to reason that larger communities attract hospitals with more specialists and more advanced equipment. This does not mean that residents in rural communities always have lower quality health care. We need to look no further than Olympic Medical Center in Sequim and Port Angeles to know we have a good health care system in place.

But is it enough? First, the rapid growth in this area has outpaced the number of available doctors and services, especially primary care physicians. If you don't believe that, just try to establish yourself as a new patient at a primary care clinic and then be prepared for a long wait for that first appointment.

Second, for the growing numbers of uninsured and underinsured, it's often impossible to find a primary care physician. Couple that with low reimbursement rates for those on Medicare and the situation worsens.

That's where community health centers and nonprofit health care providers come in. These facilities expand access to primary and preventive care and reduce costs. It means those with limited incomes have a place to go for an earache, sore throat or other needs without using the hospital emergency room, which is the most expensive treatment there is.

Yes, emergency rooms by law must treat anyone who walks in the door. Some say anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, which is true, however, the government will be the payer of last resort, and that translates to all of us.
Crowded emergency rooms result in excessive costs for nonemergency care and drive up everyone's medical bills. ER visits do not allow for preventive care and the checkups that avert catastrophic illnesses.

In 2007, Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles had 26,553 emergency room visits. It would be interesting to know how many of those could have been avoided if the patient could afford and had been able to find a primary care physician.

It's one reason why OMC is practically gifting the new space to the clinic, as it benefits the hospital as well as patients and community.

Last year the Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic served more than 900 people, providing them primary health care services and referrals as necessary. We like to think these people are different from us, but they are our neighbors, the working poor with insurance coverage falling far below what medical care costs are today.

The clinic is open for everyone; it does not ask for a pay stub or proof of anything. It's a godsend to those 900 patients and this community.
The nine medical professionals who volunteer their time at the clinic are a godsend, too.

There is a small catch. The clinic, like most services of its kind, operates on funds from grants and donations from all of us.

This community has been extremely generous in its support of the clinic. John Beitzel, president of the clinic's board of directors, says the first day the clinic was opened about 70 people attended a grand opening celebration. By the end of the day, more than $11,000 was raised.

Several local businesses kick in funds throughout the year to maintain the clinic's annual budget of about $120,000.

How can you help? Join in the Fun Walk, the clinic's only fundraiser, set for Oct. 4. It's only $5 per person, or $10 per family. Not only does the walk support the clinic, it's a healthy - and fun - activity. Challenge your neighbors, friends and co-workers to walk the five-mile route along our famous Olympic Discovery Trail.

With health care a major issue in the presidential campaign, it will be important to concentrate on improving our health care system in the U.S. In the meantime, we are lucky to have such a valuable asset as the Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic right in our own backyard.

Congratulations on the new digs.

Everyone wins with this one

When public agencies partner for the community good, the community wins.

The North Olympic Library System and United Way of Clallam County are collaborating in a program called "De-Fine Your Community" that will bring much-needed donated supplies to those in need.

It's a very simple program that works like this: The library will waive all overdue fines in exchange for donated items such as food, toiletries and school supplies from Sept. 12-Oct. 11.

The program is a win-win. The library gets back some of its long overdue books so others can check them out and United Way can distribute more items to its affiliate agencies.

And you, the overdue book holder turned donor, will feel so much better after turning in the book you've had for a very long time and dropping a can or two of food or other sundries into the collection basket.

Mary Powell can be reached at editor@sequimgazette.com or at 683-3311.