Medical Clinic Considerations

Let’s examine more realities to be considered in regards to a medical clinic. How great are the needs for a medical clinic in Springdale? Do we plan for the community we wish we were or the one we are? For instance, I would love to see more families with children in our town. Is there any evidence to suggest we may see an increase in that demographic?

Is there any thought given to having something more like the IHC clinic in Hurricane? That would work for me. Is that in anyway possible? Unlikely.

As long as we have to go off hill for lab work, for orthopedists, for neurologists, for ophthalmologists, for optometrists, for cardiologists, for gynecologists, for pediatricians, for podiatrists, for diagnostic equipment, etc. a medical clinic is of very limited value to Springdale residents. That is the reality of modern healthcare.

A medical clinic whose purpose is to serve tourists is not appropriate for public use land. One whose purpose is to serve residents but that can be used by tourists is appropriate. The difference is not really subtle and the purpose needs to be defined and that purpose must dictate the desirability, the design, and the extent of said medical clinic.

Unlike most of the comments I heard, I am not necessarily opposed to a 4000 sq ft clinic as long as we know someone is willing to commit to using it long term and pay an appropriate amount and as long as we can afford to build it. I am opposed to any expenditure for anything whose use is not really, well, useful.

We also need to decide how much we are willing to subsidize a clinic. How much are we subsidizing the current clinic? Clarity on budgets and funds available should be more easily available. There are funds available for rural communities from the state, but, that is also ultimately from our pocket, and not knowing if we could even get it are all matters that matter.

Is there any value in trying to get something much more accommodating, but in Virgin where land is not so limited? Would Virgin and Rockville be on board with that? Would any IHC type of organization be interested? If not, there’s a reason for that.

Make no mistake, non-profit organizations have to make money, including those whose goal is healthcare. Their CEO’s make at least 6 figures a year; all their staff needs to be paid; all their equipment purchased. They make money. They have to. Non-profit does not equal volunteer workforce and donated equipment. They do not generate profit for private owners, but they do pay their bills.

Which brings us to a pharmacy. The main restrictions should be tying the pharmacy hours to the clinic hours and not having an outside entrance. It’s very common that a doctor will prescribe an antibiotic but suggest over the counter medications (acetaminophen, etc.) as well. It would be highly annoying to not have those things available in the pharmacy where one gets one’s prescription filled. I also have no problem with cards, or stuffed toys, or whatever the pharmacy might sell that would help it be a viable, financially sound entity. Your child is sick and a little stuffed puppy might be as helpful as the amoxicillin. If it is structured correctly in regards to hours of operation, size, and accessibility, let the free market do its thing. The more we tie their hands with what they can sell, the less likely they are to want to be part of it, I can only assume. Many disagree with this. I am highly persuadable. Convince me.

It comes back to how much would Springdale citizens use a medical clinic? Perhaps a questionnaire would be useful but not one structured to elicit a desired response. I’m no expert on this but maybe something as simple as: 1. How often have you used the medical clinic in town? 2. What would allow you to use it more regularly? How about a Town Hall where we gather and actually communicate?

I would definitely not support hiring someone to create a questionnaire. Tom Dansie mentioned that the town tends to trust results more when they come from a third party. That surprised me — I actually trust them less. Outside firms have their own incentives. They want our business, and if they pick up on how town leadership hopes things will turn out, the questions could easily be framed in ways that nudge responses in that direction.

I realize others see this differently, and I’m open to being persuaded. Even so, I think decisions like this — whether to hire someone to gather residents’ opinions — should reflect the will of the majority, even if I am not in that majority. I encourage people to think it over and make their views known

At this point, with the aforementioned questions still unanswered, if I had to pick a conclusion about a medical clinic, it would be, build the biggest, most extensive medical clinic we can get someone to rent and someone else to pay for. We get all the funding we can, we talk to all the potential providers we can find, and whoever is willing to give us the most rent, we choose and build it the size that that rent would pay for. Unless hardly anyone in Springdale would use it. There is that.