Hospital planning to merge walk-in clinic and new family medicine clinic

Cabinet Peaks Medical Center is planning to open a family practice clinic in Libby in the spring of 2016, according to a statement released by hospital marketing manager Kate Stephens Feb. 3.

Stephens said the hospital has expanded services at the walk-in clinic, allowing patients to schedule appointements in advance. During the expansion, hospital administration hired a new family practice physician and has prompted the hospital to open the family practice clinic.

“Over the past several months, Cabinet Peaks Medical Center has begun accepting scheduled patients in the walk-in clinic, and has also interviewed several physician candidates, which has led to the hiring of a family medicine physician,” Stephens wrote in the statement. “These recent changes and addition of providers lend itself to the opening of a new family medicine clinic in south Lincoln County. Cabinet Peaks Medical Center plans to open Cabinet Peaks Family Medicine in the spring of 2016.”

The clinic is being planned for the St. John’s Lutheran Medical Complex at 350 Louisiana Ave. and further details, Stephens said, will be made available to the public as plans are finalized.

Hospital chief executive officer Bruce Whitfield said the move is intended to help address a critical shortage of primary care medicine in the area.

“We are excited to be doing our part to help with the area’s primary care shortage,” he said. “We’ve had a critical shortage of primary care for some time, and we are happy to see all of our hard work to bring in new providers finally come to fruition.”

According to a press release issued Feb. 8, Cabinet Peaks intends to merge the existing walk-in clinic with the new family medicine clinic.

“Plans are currently being developed to merge the walk-in clinic into Cabinet Peaks Family Medicine, and move it from its location inside Cabinet Peaks Medical Center to the new clinic space across the street in the St. John’s Lutheran Medical Complex at 350 Louisiana Ave. in Libby,” Stephens wrote.