Collegiate Times

Radford University and Montgomery Regional Hospital have partnered to provide healthcare for those who do not necessarily have a primary care provider.

?The partnership with Radford University is set up to provide a primary care facility for those with and without medical insurance,? said Suzanne Barnett, director of marketing and public relations for Montgomery Regional Hospital.

Barnett said that the clinic was set up because, with the clinic, it becomes easier for the hospital to triage the patients and have them sent to the clinic instead of taking up limited emergency-room resources.

?There are many patients that are seen in the emergency room that are just in need of regular care,? Barnett said. ?They come to the emergency room because they do not have insurance and can not afford insurance in order to be set up with a primary care physician.?

According to the Radford University family health clinics brochure, ?The clinic is located near Montgomery Regional Hospital to provide services for residents who seek care at the emergency room for health problems that can be treated faster and cheaper in an office setting.?

Having the clinic available may cut down wait time and crowding in the emergency room.

?The clinic is being housed off-site across the parking lot and being put into an existing spot so that there is no other facility that is being removed,? Barnett said. ?The space is going to be shared with the office of Osteopathic Medicine.?

Services are available for both insured and uninsured residents, but for the uninsured patients a sliding fee is charged, based on the family income of that person.

?Charges range between $5 to $30 depending on family income ? it varies,? said Jessica Crawford, Radford University health clinics manager. ?The clinic is staffed by a physician from the emergency room and a nurse practitioner.?

Crawford said that the clinic opened Oct. 3 after the CEO of the hospital approached the Radford health clinics main office late last year.

?He visited the campus and thought that it was too far from the hospital in order to provide the care that he was looking for, so he offered a grant to have it moved nearby,? Crawford said. ?They were in need of a clinic to provide medical care for less emergency-related issues such as common head colds and the like.?

Crawford said that the clinic?s hours are Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., in order to allow working families with children in school to still be able to make an appointment.

?Our location is only temporary,? Crawford said. ?There are plans that are made for us to move next to where we are located right now, but into our own suite so that the Osteopathic Medicine can also have their own space.?
Crawford said that clinic officials are working on taking different insurances including the one that is offered to Virginia Tech students.

?We see a large number of dependents from Virginia Tech as well as graduate students and want to be able to provide them with care,? Crawford said.