Clinic visits important

If you’ve been putting off seeing the doctor for needed medical care, Heidi Sifford, practice manager of the Platte Valley Clinic, wants you to know you might be endangering your health more by staying away than by coming in.

If patients feel uncomfortable about coming into the clinic, they’re encouraged to use the telehealth service, which is still being covered by insurance companies.

“We can do much so much through that,” Sifford said, “and people don’t even have to leave their homes.” Sifford said the process is easy because clinic staff helps patients through the technical aspects of the procedure.

If patients do come into the clinic, they are prescreened over the phone. If they report having COVID symptoms, they’re asked to report to a separate entrance and are ushered into a dedicated examination room. If they’re being specifically tested for COVID, a staff member will dress in appropriate PPE and meet them in the parking lot. Regular non-symptomatic patients are screened at the door and masked and socially distanced in the waiting room.

When the State of Wyoming issued an order in March for clinics to postpone routine care and limit their facilities to acute-care patients only, Sifford said the Platte Valley Clinic fell far behind on it’s wellness visits.

“People need to appreciate that this is an important tool in their overall healthcare,” she said. “If people are overdue for a wellness check, we hope they call us.”

The Platte Valley Clinic is home to a wide range of medical services, some of which people may not be aware of, Sifford said. The addition of Dr. Adrian Durham to the clinic earlier this month means that more sports medicine and osteopathic manipulation services are available, as are joint injections.

A popular service available at the clinic is Coumadin management. Sifford said many people in the Valley use blood thinners, requiring monitoring and management on a regular basis. Wound care management and hearing screening tests are also underappreciated but important services to residents in the Valley, she said, as are women’s health services such as pap testing and prenatal care.

She also noted the clinic does much of its own lab work, enabling rapid testing for influenza, streptococcus, mononucleosis, pregnancy and bladder infections. Sifford said the clinic recently received the key code for COVID antibody screening and expects to be able to implement that test in the near future.

In addition to those services offered, the Platte Valley Clinic is also the hub for orthopedic services from Premier Bone and Joint and physical therapy service from Laramie Peaks Physical Therapy. A recent partnership with Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie provides a number of specialists in obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, pediatrics, geriatrics, urology and ear, nose and throat to Saratoga for scheduled appointments. Specialists are also available through the telehealth system.

Staying up to date with chronic conditions and appropriately managing medications are vital for long-term good health, Sifford said. With new safety protocols and a wide range of medical services available close to home, there’s no longer a need to procrastinate.