Warden calls for more health services

Aimee Hornberger

Herald staff writer

WARDEN — A meeting among Samaritan Healthcare employees and members of the Warden community Tuesday resulted in a positive first step for bringing more health care services to the town.

The main complaint voiced at the meeting from Warden representatives is that their taxpayers are not getting a fair share of health care services.

Warden is part of Grant County Public Hospital District No. 1 and its residents pay taxes to the district.

"What are we getting for that?" said businessman Erik Skone with Skone Irrigation and Supply LLC out of Warden.

The town has a dental clinic but no offices that offer other basic medical services.

At the meeting Warden community members estimated it has been a decade since there has been a doctor's office in the town. A pharmacy is said to have once been in operation as well.

If the hospital district is going to make an investment it needs to know it would be financially feasible, said Samaritan Hospital CEO John White, who was in attendance at the meeting.

White told those gathered that hospital districts across the state are feeling the burdens of financial strain and employee shortages which make it difficult to provide necessary services to patients.

He also cautioned that convincing a physician to start a practice in a small, rural town and remain competitive would be difficult.

Some proposed having a doctor come on a rotating basis a couple of times a week and coordinating health care services with the school district that would be open to the public.

Arranging transportation with the Grant Transit Authority was mentioned as another possibility.

"Sometimes getting people to use it is the problem," said Warden port manager Mike Conley.

One audience member asserted providing transportation would still not resolve the issue of locating medical services in Warden.

"My idea is to make it economically feasible to get services here," he said.

In response to that, White said that as Moses Lake continues to grow it may only make it harder for surrounding, smaller towns to compete for health care services.

White asked audience members where they thought most Warden residents go to receive medical care.

Warden mayor Roldan Capetillo said he thought most residents traveled to Moses Lake, a trip that is difficult for low income families and those without vehicles.

Warden fire chief and port commissioner Bob Whitaker estimated that between 35 and 40 percent of ambulance service calls transport patients to Othello.

Toward the end of the meeting, Whitaker asked the question residing on everyone's mind.

"Is it economically feasible to have a clinic in Warden?" he asked.

"Without some sort of subsidy probably not," White said. "It's tough to staff a clinic in a small town."

In the meantime, White said he would go back to Samaritan Hospital and talk with Moses Lake Community Health about the possibility of offering services in Warden.

Additionally, White offered to research information on school-based health care and options for pharmacy services and said he would report back on what he found.

"Whatever we do together it's going to take some effort," he said.