The Forum spoke April 25 with Christina Pierce, executive director of the Basin Clinic, who shared that the West End’s clinic has been recognized as one of the Top 10 rural health care centers in Colorado. In fact, it’s No. 3, out of 60 clinics in the state, and was awarded on April 18.
Now Basin Clinic representatives continue to work on their strategic plan. A $50,000 grant from the state’s Department of Local Affairs is helping to pay the strategic planner, Jason McCormick, of Fruita. Pierce said McCormick is guiding the overarching plan of moving forward, along with board governance and updating patient registration.
According to Pierce, McCormick has been on Colorado’s Rural Health Center’s Board of Directors and was an executive at a critical access hospital in Fruita. He works now to help various clinics and hospitals in Colorado, as well as in other states.
“I’ve been impressed with his level of knowledge,” Pierce said. “When he talked to the commissioners, Sue (Hansen) was impressed with his expertise too.”
Pierce said she remains hopeful. While county commissioners have had concerns in the past about the clinic’s ability to sustain itself, she believes things are changing. Two years ago, commissioners did require Basin Clinic to reduce staffing by 10% in order to receive county funding. Pierce said it’s been a struggle since then to continue to get everything done with the staff they now have.
Yet, she said the clinic is making positive change. And, she believes Commissioner Sean Pond, of District 3, will advocate for Basin Clinic, as will Commissioner Scott Mijares, and she knows Hansen has come around.
McCormick is set to give an update on his work with the clinic’s strategic plan, but Pierce cannot speak about that information right now. What she could tell the Forum is that several options exist for the clinic’s future, and remaining “as is” is just one option. McCormick will address the West End Solutions Group and the Basin Clinic board in an upcoming meeting — likely in May — and then decisions will be made.
“When the board has decided, it will become public,” she said. “The public will know more soon.”
Pierce said there’s more to celebrate. Robert Tapley is back, as is Angela Miller. Miller will be full-time Monday through Thursday.
“So two full-time providers,” Pierce said. “That’s a really good thing.”
While the clinic is seeing about the same amount of patients at this time, Pierce believes that will increase now. She knows Miller had a following of patients who connected with her. Those patients will no doubt be pleased that she’s returned. In addition to the mid-level providers, medical doctors are also on site at Basin Clinic throughout the month at different times too.
In other news, Basin Clinic will finally do some of the aesthetic work that it’s been planning, and the Forum will publish a bid in the paper. Coming right up, and made possible by a facade grant through the West End Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC), are new exterior paint, new gutters and hopefully some interior paint too.
The clinic will need some volunteers to help with labor, once they get ready roll.
