PHC innovations and operations during COVID-19

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley-Swan Hospital District Board met April 21 via teleconference for their April meeting. Partnership Health Center’s Executive Director Laurie Francis provided an update on PHC innovations and the Seeley-Swan Medical Center operations in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The board received an update on the RV Park and trustee elections.

Francis said that of the 290 people employed by PHC, 72 are working from home. None of these employees have been furloughed or laid off even though their patient load is down due to limiting contact.

“Even without an infusion of federal dollars, and there have been some, we were not going to lay anyone off,” said Francis. “We believe we will return to a new normal, even though we don’t know what that looks like yet. We feel confident financially that we will get through this, dip into our reserve perhaps and come out in better condition with even more skills than we had going in.”

The week of March 15 was the first week of COVID-19 response. By Wednesday, Seeley-Swan Medical Center Registered Nurse Karen Ayers was trained to do COVID-19 screening in Missoula.

Both new and established patients in Missoula and Seeley Lake are now able to access telehealth services, including phone or video visits with a medical, dental or behavioral health provider. Medical visits are being screened prior to being seen. Only those patients that medical personnel feel can’t be treated via telephone and/or through telemedicine are being seen.

Francis said around 10 percent of patients are being seen in person, a larger percent are being treated through telemedicine and the majority of patients receive treatment over the phone. The Seeley-Swan Medical Center is down to 50 percent of their normal visits.

All behavioral health consultations in Seeley Lake are being conducted over the phone. Dentist Alyssa Harris, DMD is offering teledental, screening patients before seeing them. She will treat urgent or emergent dental needs. Harris is only seeing, at the most, two patients a day, to limit exposure.

Francis assured the board that the Medical Center staff has the personal protective equipment and testing supplies that they need. Because testing supplies are still limited, all PHC facilities are only testing those individuals who are high risk and symptomatic. The rest are told to stay home and monitor themselves.

“I feel like the staff just rose to the occasion remarkably well,” said Francis.

Francis said Governor Bullock announced April 21 that all insurance companies must pay the same for a telephone and telemedicine appointments as a face-to-face visit.

“All of the private practices and all of the health centers across the country all of the sudden saw a huge drop in volume and a huge drop in charges. I think the country and the state are both working hard to open a viable way to stay alive in health care until it changes back.

In a press release from PHC dated April 14, they encouraged patients to contact PHC staff if their income has recently been reduced. PHC offers an income-based sliding fee scale for all patients, and reduced income is likely to result in their fees being ‘slid’ down to a reduced level.

“Reducing barriers and increasing access to excellent care is the core element of our mission,” said Francis in the press release. “As has always been the case, we will never allow one’s financial situation to be a barrier to accessing care. We’re here for everyone, including those who are fully insured, those with no insurance and everyone in-between. We want the community to know that they can continue to count on us during this pandemic.”

In other business:

• Board Chair Twyla Johnson reported that the RV Park project is still moving forward but has not proceeded to sufficiency review, which is up to the developer to start. Even if the RV Park was deemed sufficient, the governing body review has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any public hearings will not be scheduled until it is safe to do so.

• Incumbent Twyla Johnson remains on the board for another three-year position since no one else ran for the two open positions. There still is one open position that the board will need to appoint. There is one person interested and they will be attending next month’s meeting

The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12 at 5 p.m. either at the Seeley-Swan Medical Center conference room or by teleconference. Call in information will be provided per open meeting law requirements so the public has the opportunity to participate.