Branch office is only medical center

ROYAL CITY - The small town of Royal City is getting a branch clinic with a big name.

Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, which owns the Moses Lake Clinic, is opening a satellite office in Royal City.

Wenatchee Valley Medical Center Board Chairman David Weber said he signed a contract Thursday with the Grant County Public Hospital District No. 7 to open the branch office. The new clinic is primarily a satellite branch of the Moses Lake Clinic, since staff are being provided by the Moses Lake office, Weber said.

Moses Lake Clinic Administrator David Olson said he anticipates beginning operations in February at 103 Camelia St. A former clinic, The Clinic at Royal City, was located at the same address but struggled to keep its doors open when a staff member relocated, Olson said.

Olson said he is discussing with the owner of the building the possibility of leasing or purchasing the building. He hopes to get the clinic approved for conducting X-rays, which The Clinic at Royal City did not offer, he said.

"Do we feel that it can keep its doors open and provide convenient access for primary care in Royal City? Yes we do," he said.

The benefit of opening a clinic as part of a larger network includes the possibility of referrals, since physicians in Wenatchee and Moses Lake have access to patient information, Olson said.

Moses Lake Clinic Medical Director David Curnel said about 2 to 4 percent of patients who go to the Moses Lake office reside in Royal City. Most Royal City residents travel to the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee or a different location for care, depending on which end of town they live in, he said.

The hospital nearest to Royal City is Othello Community Hospital, about 25 miles away. Hospitals in Moses Lake, Ephrata and Quincy are 40 to 50 miles away from Royal City.

A nurse practitioner or physician assistant would work fulltime out of the office, and a physician from Moses Lake Clinic would supervise part time.

The hospital is deciding next week which Moses Lake physician is joining the Royal City clinic, Curnel said.

Olson said he is confident the hospital can find a qualified physician assistant or nurse practitioner to join the office before its doors open.