Veterans partnership
Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center director Sandy Nielsen speaks during a reception held Saturday at Libby Clinic to mark a cooperative effort to improve access to health care for area veterans.
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VA, Libby Clinic partner for veterans
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
October 7, 2010
A cooperative effort between the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Libby Clinic is making health care more accessible for local veterans.
The partnership was officially kicked off with a reception Saturday afternoon at Libby Clinic attended by staff from the Spokane VA hospital and the local clinic along with representatives from the offices of both of Montana’s U.S. senators.
Since the partnership began in April, Libby Clinic has provided services to 180 veterans through the VA, said Spokane VA Medical Center director Sandy Nielsen.
"We wanted to start off a little slowly, but I think they’re ready to open up the doors a little bit," Nielsen said.
Of the 180 veterans who have been served at Libby Clinic since April, about 30 percent are new to the VA system. That shows the partnership is meeting its goal of providing improved access to health care, Nielsen said.
"At least a third are saying it’s not worth it to come to Spokane, but yeah, I’ll go here," she said.
Patients who are new to the VA system can expect about a two-week wait to have an initial exam, but once in the system there will be few delays, Nielsen said.
"For patients who are established here and want an appointment, it’s virtually same-day service, so that’s good access," she said.
The partnership with Libby Clinic is one of several satellite operations established by the Spokane VA hospital over the past year. Other local clinics have been set up in Sandpoint, Idaho, and in Colville, Republic and Tonasket, Wash.
Libby Clinic has been in operation since 1972 and has been at its current location at 211 E. Second St. since 1981. Medical staff includes physicians Glenne Gunther, Bill Cuskelly and Greg Rice and nurse practitioners Peter Kitts, Lorna Shea and Natasha Blata Pennock.
During Saturday’s reception, Kitts said the association with the VA hospital is of personal significance for him. Kitts got his start in health care as a staff nurse at the Spokane VA hospital in 1985.
"At that time, I took care of a lot of World War I veterans," Kitts said. "Of course, they’re all gone now, but we’ve had three more wars."
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Editor’s Note: See the October 5, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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