MPCA News

VA clinic open in Cut Bank
GCHC providing local and area veterans with medical services

Cut Bank Pioneer Press – January 9, 2008

"The Veteran's Clinic in Cut Bank is a reality," announced former Glacier County Commissioner Ray Salois last week. Glacier Community Health Center (GCHC), located at 519 East Main, was awarded the contract to provide primary care services to veterans in this area.

"We were selected by the Veteran's Administration to be a service center and it is going to be a pleasure to serve the veterans." said GCHC Director John Maher.

Monday, Jan. 7 was the first day veterans were seen at GCHC, with the first veteran patient scheduled at 9 a.m. The rest of the day was booked solid and the rest of the week was filling up nicely as well said Maher.

“GCHC is able to serve veterans from four neighboring counties, Glacier, Toole, Pondera, and Liberty,” Maher added, "Veterans can come from anywhere to use our facility. As long as they are an authorized veteran, they can transfer their care to our providers." Two physicians at GCHC will be serving the veteran patients, both of whom went through the appropriate VA training. Dr. Seth Spanos and Dr. Del Coolidge are the two physicians approved to see VA patients.

"Dr. Coolidge is coming back to work for us on a permanent, part-time basis, four days a week," said Maher. "He is replacing Roger Barrey who has accepted another position in Missoula. We wish Roger all the best in his new endeavor."

It used to be the veterans living in Cut Bank or the surrounding communities would have to drive hundreds of miles to receive care at a VA clinic under the VA program. They could, of course, receive medical care here in Cut Bank, but they would have had to pay for those services out of their own pockets.

Salois, a veteran that will definitely be utilizing GCHC for his primary medical care, was ecstatic over the VA clinic finding a home in Cut Bank. He was also instrumental in getting the clinic to Cut Bank. "I started it over a year ago, when I was a county commissioner. I stopped at Fort Harrison and talked to the people I needed to in person about getting the clinic here. It finally worked out and I am very proud to have it here in Cut Bank."

"We will be providing a full scope of primary health care for the vets,'' said Maher. ''And if care is needed beyond that, we will coordinate that for the veteran through the VA office."

Veterans making an appointment at GCHC won't have to do anything other than identify themselves as a veteran when they place the call. "Veteran patients will not experience anything different from other patients were at the clinic, other than they will not receive a bill for the services they receive at GCHC," shared Maher.

Veterans can call GCHC at either 873-5670 or toll free if they live out of the Cut Bank area at 877-873-5675, to make an appointment. When they identify themselves as a veteran, they will be transferred to the Veteran's Administration Clerk who works right at GCHC. That clerk will then make sure the veteran "qualifies for benefits by checking the VA computer system linked to GCHC.

The veteran’s medical records are accessible via the VA system too which will enable the physician seeing them to have a full history of the patient. Once eligibility is determined, the veteran is then scheduled for their appointment. It's easy and it's fast.

Maher said they know providing care for the veterans will mean an influx of patients for the clinic, but it isn't anything they aren't prepared to handle.

"I am unable to predict, as is the VA, what our utilization will be. They believe as I do, that there are twice as many veterans out there that qualify for care but who have never been entered into the system," he said. ''We are prepared, without stretching too much, to accommodate 150 to 200 patients a month. We could go up to 400 a month if we need to and still be okay."

Not knowing just how many vets they will see at the clinic, Maher has been actively recruiting for another physician. Currently there are three physicians on staff and if all goes well another could be on the way. That makes GCHC more than capable of handling their regular patients and the new veteran patients they will be seeing.

"We have the capacity to field everything that has been forecasted for us. And we are going to try and make sure appointments are seen on the same day or next day basis," Maher assured. "If you need to see us, we are going to see you."

"Ray is the sole responsible person for initiating this effort with Senator Burns. His timing was appropriate as we needed to expand VA services in Montana," stated Maher.

"I think it is great that we can provide this service to our veterans. We are so pleased that we built a bigger facility, which will allow us to do a good job for all of our patients, which now includes the veterans," concluded Maher.

Montana Primary Care Association 1805 Euclid Avenue Helena, MT 59601 Phone: (406) 442-2750 Fax: (406) 449-2460