Kootenai County offers employees 'triage as well as treatment' at new health clinic

COEUR d’ALENE — The ribbon was cut Wednesday for the new Kootenai Member Health and Wellness Clinic for county employees and their families. 

County Commissioner Leslie Duncan called the official opening “a new era in employee health care.”     

The clinic is operated by PMR Healthcare and will offer primary and preventative care without co-pays or deductibles.   

As the doctor for the new county program and facility, Robert Doxey said he worked previously with this type of clinic in his last job in military health care in Utah.  

“This really reminds me of a military clinic, and it’s a model I’m really a proponent of,” Doxey said. 

The new clinic at 920 W. Ironwood Drive in Coeur d'Alene has four exam rooms, a pharmacy and a lab.    

County Commissioner Bill Brooks noted that all too often when a child gets sick, the only choice is to send them to school or take them to a doctor for what could be an expensive visit.  

He said he was excited to announce county staff would now have a location where employees and their families can be rapidly seen at no cost.   

“It’s triage as well as treatment,” Brooks said.   

When the county began exploring health care options with fewer physicians available, Alliant Healthcare suggested the clinic model to bring immediate access to staff in one place. 

PMR Healthcare CEO Craig Marcroft said he believes more employers will see value in the clinic model as an answer to the physician “manpower issue” becomes more pronounced. The traditional model only works if there’s enough physicians to go around.  

“It's a lot more proactive care than reactive care,” Marcroft said. 

County Commissioner Bruce Mattare said he hoped the clinic would aid in employee retention by providing the benefit of direct care.  

The overall cost for the clinic is $680,000, but over time, the county hopes to save through preventative care. Mattare estimated the clinic could potentially save the county about $5 million down the road.  

Employees have been utilizing services from clinic staff since July, but the clinic officially opened Wednesday. 

Kootenai County has about 750 employees, and the clinic’s four staff members would potentially serve about 2,000 people. 

“We’re excited to be aligning with the county," Alliant Healthcare's Scott Burkhardt said. "Employers will make an investment in the health and wellness of their employees and remove barriers to health care in terms of access, length of appointment and cost." 

    An exam room at the new Kootenai Member Health and Wellness Clinic.

    Kootenai County commissioners and members from PMR Healthcare and Alliant Healthcare celebrated the grand opening of the Kootenai Member Health and Wellness Clinic Wednesday.

    Sylvia Proud, HR director for Kootenai County, introduces County Commissioners Bill Brooks, Bruce Mattare and Leslie Duncan.