EARH Corner: New changes aimed at providing great, local care

We in Rural America are blessed with the values native to strong, mostly agricultural communities—great respect for the land, community safety and health, good education, spiritual beliefs, and the faith in each other that a helping hand will be there when needed. Living and participating in such a community gives a sense of pride and well-being.

Those same concepts define rural healthcare. As a Public Hospital District and Critical Access Hospital, we exist to serve our community. Those we care for are more than just our patients: they are our friends, our neighbors, our family—sometimes literally, but we see our whole community as family.

The belief some hold that they can get better health care at a larger organization is often mistaken. Certainly there are specialized types of care for which one has to go to outside the community; but within our scope, which includes most of the common health-care needs, we can give you care as good as any, and without the rushed short appointments typical of larger facilities.

Two significant examples are Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Imaging. Your local health-care provider has access to a plethora of high-quality testing capabilities right here at East Adams Rural Healthcare. We work hard to keep providers educated about what we offer, so they can get you cared for quickly, right here at home. Unfortunately, specialists elsewhere to whom you might be referred may not know our services well. Although we do routinely reach out to help them understand what we can do, you should recognize that you have choices for where you receive services. And it’s OK to ask!

For example: if you are seen in Spokane for a specialty we do not have, and will then need lab work—tests, an MRI, CT, Ultrasound, or X-rays—that does not need to be performed immediately, you can ask the specialist to send that order over to us, and we will accommodate you quickly. Or if you require follow-up tests or imaging, whether one-time or continuing, you should know that we can do many of those right here. If you need help coordinating your care, know that we can provide that, too. We will work hard to help take care of you to the highest standard possible. It’s your hospital, use it!

We also know that easy access to our services is important, which is why we’ve been hiring excellent new providers and expanding hours. In the past year we’ve hired Dr. Anderson, MD; Julie Trofibio, Nurse Practitioner; and Julie Shapiro, Physician Assistant. That has allowed us to now have appointments available throughout the day, so you can get an appointment when you need it. And we now open the clinic at 7 a.m. on Mondays, so you can get checked out before work if you’ve been sick over the weekend. Further, we are seeing patients in our Therapy department from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m. (by appointment) to accommodate you before or after work.

Those are just a few of the changes we are making to be better partners in health in our community. We are reaching out through one-on-one interactions, community forums, presentations at local organizations, and active participation in community events, so that you can help us learn what we can try to do for your healthcare needs. We can do more to help you stay close to home, and we will strive for excellent care—the right care—every time.