Lack of health services in Warden being assessed
Samaritan Healthcare conducting assessment following meetings with Warden community members
WARDEN — Three months after Samaritan Healthcare met in Warden with members of the community to discuss concerns regarding lack of health care services in the town, an assessment is now being started to see if such a move would be financially feasible.
Samaritan Healthcare is overseeing the assessment to look at the cost-benefits of providing more health services and a physician(s) to start a practice in Warden.
Warden is part of Grant County Public Hospital District No. 1 and its residents pay taxes to the district.
The town has a dental clinic and a Women Infant and Children program but no offices that offer other basic medical services.
Samaritan CEO John White feels the discussions with Warden are going well and that the hospital district is interested in working with them in order to fulfill its obligation to serve those within its district.
"The folks from Warden have been reasonable," White said. "Warden has a need we would like to fill."
At a meeting held in February Samaritan Healthcare representatives told those from Warden that part of the challenge in bringing more services to Warden stems from finding a physician willing to relocate in a small town, and keeping the practice competitive.
On the other side of the issue, Warden residents are concerned their taxes are not receiving a fair share of health care services.
If a physician practice were to locate in Warden some are concerned they would still have to travel out of town to get access to pharmaceutical services.
"I think we are really interested in how to get some pharmacy services available in Warden as people have to go to Othello or Moses Lake to get their prescriptions and that is a big issue," said Warden port manager Mike Conley.
A Warden mini-health fair is scheduled June 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of Samaritan's assessment.
The fair will take place at the Moses Lake Community Health building in Warden at 200 Main Street.
White said the health fair will help the hospital district better establish what the need is in Warden by how many people attend.
A health coach from Sacred Heart Medical Center out of Spokane will be on hand to do mammography screenings.
Basic blood testing for cholesterol, glucose, calcium, phosphorus, and triglycerides are going to be made available, as well as body fat scans, osteoporosis and blood pressure tests.
An appointment needs to be made prior to the fair to receive a mammography test. To make an appointment call 800 (877) 474-2400.