Doc is in the clinic

Hastings visits Royal City

ROYAL CITY — One of the "docs" who visited Royal City Clinic Thursday never earned a medical degree.

Republican Congressman Doc Hastings toured the new facility, which opened officially for business March 12.

It is in the same location of a former clinic, The Clinic at Royal City, at 103 Camelia St. N.W. It is a branch of Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and the only clinic in town. Moses Lake Clinic is providing staff support.

"I'm pleased that this is open again," Hastings said.

Moses Lake Clinic Administrator David Olson said the first day the clinic opened, a man came in with chest pain and a cough.

It turned out the man was a newly diagnosed diabetic and had tuberculosis.

"Who knows what the situation might have been if there hadn't been someone here?" Olson said.

Between six and 16 people use the clinic daily, with more anticipated as word gets out, he said.

An X-Ray machine is expected to arrive at the clinic April 25, said nurse Jana Gonzales. The former clinic did not offer an X-Ray service.

Renovation projects cost $30,000, including new carpet and paint, new walls and a modification of a bathroom for wheelchair accessibility. Before the renovation, a person would need to get out of the wheelchair.

Gonzales said a patient of the former clinic could not use the bathrooms, because she was in a wheelchair.

"The other day she came in and she could go to the bathroom," she said.

Hastings said he wants to make sure rural communities have access to quality health care.

Olson noted Hastings is a member of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. He said Hastings has made a difference in improving Washington State health care.

"We wouldn't be (standing) here if it weren't for you," he said.