The Health of Local Health Care: You shouldn't have to drive 20 miles or wait three weeks to see a good doctor
| PHYSICIAN REFERRAL: 360-435-0514 Introducing Linda... Need to find a new physician? Want someone to explain the difference between an ARNP, PA-C, and MD? Or maybe you need to take a First Aid/CPR course to renew your daycare license. Call Linda! Tired of trying to find a clinic that will accept your health insurance? Want to know when the local TOPS group meets? Need help finding a specific kind of specialist? Call Linda! While Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics have offered the HealthMatch service for many years, there will now be a real person answering your calls, eight hours a day, five days a week. Something no other local referral service offers. In addition to helping match resources to your needs, Linda also knows the ins-and-outs of insurance companies. She can determine which providers are covered by your insurance, as well as help you change your designated provider. Linda can also schedule an appointment with the new physician or provider your choose--right while she is talking with you! Talk about friendly service...That's our Linda! |
Unfortunately waiting three weeks to get an appointment to see your doctor, and driving through frustrating traffic, may be your experience if you typically go outside north Snohomish County for health care.
The Reality
State Medicaid payments to medical providers, aimed to help the low income, are often less than the cost of the care provided. Some clinics have to choose between subsidizing care of the poor or denying them access. Several clinics in our area have been forced to close their doors, partly due to this issue.
Remaining clinics experience the pressure of trying to accommodate new patients who are left without doctors. Physicians and providers whose practices are already very full find their patients having to wait, oftentimes several weeks, to get an appointment for non-urgent care.
Low payments by Medicaid and Medicare are having another effect: new physicians and providers are choosing to open practices in other states. With clinics closing and new ones not opening to take their place, a serious access problem is growing.
A Solution
In the past year Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics have added nine new doctors and five nurse practitioners--including three Ob/Gyns and specialists in orthopaedics and internal medicine. The addition of these new providers in our community means you can be seen in one or two days. Even diagnostic tests can usually be scheduled within 10 days. And, with an appointment, you will wait less than 10 minutes, on the average, to be seen.
You now have an alternative to long drives and longer waits, and it is right here in your neighborhood. Help in choosing a local physician, who has the time to listen and isn't 20 miles away, is just a phone call away. Call Linda (360-435-0514).
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only. It should not replace a visit with your health care professional. Call your doctor if you need more information or have additional questions.