Representatives of the Basin Clinic reached out to the Forum last week with disappointment. That’s because they say Montrose County budgeted $250,000 for the Naturita medical center for 2024, an amount approved in December, but that money won’t be released.
Christina Pierce, executive director of the Basin Clinic since 2021, said last week that a board meeting happened Feb. 20. Then, Commissioner Roger Rash appeared before the clinic’s board of directors. Rash told those present it didn’t look good for funding and that commissioners could not agree to it.
Pierce said the explanation was that the funds were “discretionary.” Though, the clinic did receive the $250,000 last year, and in 2022 it received $100,000.
Pierce said the decision seems unjust, since voters passed a ballot initiative in 2007, effective 2008, that includes rural medical clinics in the language of the measure.
“The clinic needed that funding to help sustain us through the next year and work on improving processes and improve revenue,” Pierce said.
Pierce added revenue is something people don’t always understand. According to her, people might get medical bills they have to pay, but that’s because the clinic gets maybe half of medical costs reimbursed by insurance companies. She said for Medicaid and Medicare patients, the Basin Clinic only gets $139 for the visit, regardless of what happened in the appointment. The government only reimburses a Medicaid or Medicare patient the $139, even if the needs were urgent and involved various treatments.
And, for a nurse’s visit, for a Medicaid or Medicare patient, the clinic gets no reimbursement. That’s because the nurse’s visit is related to a “previous appointment.” That includes blood draws.
On the board of directors for the clinic now are Chris Daniel, Lorriane Garvey, Don Colcord, Ruth Reams, Peggy Case and Kathryn Adkins. They came to a decision to sell the property the clinic owns by the airport. Pierce said while the property was the site purchased in 2020 to plan for the future and build a new clinic, they have to give up on that for now. The clinic will make a bit of a profit from the real estate, approximately $20,000, but it won’t solve this year’s problems.
Pierce said Montrose County has expressed an interest in buying the property.
Pierce said commissioners don’t believe the clinic is sustainable. She said they mention “turnover.” But, Pierce said she’d like to explain that commissioners asked the staff to be reduced by 10 percent. And, Angela Miller only left to purse her “dream job” in pain management.
The Forum asked Pierce about grant writing, and Pierce confirmed she is writing grants. She said she just wrote another one for $50,000 that was approved. It’s for equipment and supplies, however, and Pierce said many grants can’t be used for operating costs.
She wishes the commissioners would say more about why they won’t fund the clinic this year. She said it’s sad for the local people of the West End. Pierce doesn’t want them to have to drive elsewhere, to Utah or San Miguel County. She said they don’t deserve it.
She also said they’ll end up shopping where they do their doctor’s visits, and that negatively impacts the local economy.
On Monday commissioner Sue Hansen replied to the Forum. While she was disappointed that the clinic admininstrators or board weren’t coming to her directly and were instead discussing the decision in the public arena, she said commissioners had good reason in holding the funds. Hansen said at a recent board meeting, the Basin Clinic board stated they were exploring selling the clinic. In this way, Hansen said it doesn’t make sense to spend taxpayer money on a clinic that could be sold soon. At the same time, she said the conversation on funding had also not been closed.
“I’d rather have a certain future,” Hansen said.
Hansen also said she strongly urges the Basin Clinic to consider a merge with UMC to operate as a satellite clinic to the Norwood site that is federally funded and receives ample support. She’s talked with UMC’s CEO Chuck Porth in Norwood, and he’s open to the idea.
Hansen said the county has given the clinic $4.6 million in the past. She said she does support the West End. She’s facilitating the West End Solutions Group, serving on other committees and regularly meeting with community leaders in Naturita and Nucla.
