By Jean Schurman
The building that was once a lawyer’s office and then a physical therapy office has been transformed once again. Now, the building that is located on the east side of Highway 93, just south of the light at Main Street in Victor, is the only physicians clinic in town. If the size of the crowd at the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting last Thursday was any indication, the clinic already has made an impact on Victor.
After remodeling the building to fit the needs of the clinic, it opened earlier this year and immediately was met with gratitude by many residents. According to both hospital administrator John Bartos and Rebecca Conroy, the family nurse practitioner who will be the provider at the clinic, there are quite a number of people in the area who do not drive and are not able to make it to Hamilton for their health care. Since the clinic opened, they have seen many people either walking to the clinic or riding their bicycles in to the clinic.
With a goal of improving primary care to the residents of the valley, clinics such as the one in Victor and the one in Darby are becoming more and more important, said Bartos.
“By providing primary care to local residents, we can immediately address problems and keep them at home,” said Bartos. “This is the future of health care.”
The facility is set up to handle primary care, acute care, chronic care, and medical procedures including some minor surgery and wound care. There is a small lab where they can do the basic tests, and an EKG on site. If a patient comes in that is experiencing some sort of emergency, the clinic will stabilize the patient for transport to the hospital.
Conroy comes to the clinic after being in Stevensville for eight years. She said she feels this is a good fit for her as she works with the patients to figure out their best care and how to achieve that. She likes working with all ages and wants to know the history of the patient which she feels helps her to treat her patients.
Conroy grew up in Darby and graduated high school there. Her dad had a gas station in Darby while she was growing up. After graduation, she attended Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, where she eventually received her masters and certification as a family nurse practitioner. These days she does yoga, is a runner, and writes for pleasure. She has a son who lives in Boston.
Leslie Robinson is the receptionist at Bitterroot Physicians Clinic North and in a way, it’s a bit like coming home for her. She and her husband, Andy, owned the gas station across the highway for a few years. Conroy thinks Robinson’s ‘hometown’ experience will be an asset with her knowledge of the area. Christine Ferris, MA, will be the third member of the team at the clinic.
Bartos said they plan on keeping the clinic operating with three staff members and will rotate other personnel in to cover any absences. He said that having the clinic in Victor works right in with Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital’s mission of keeping people out of the emergency room and providing quality medical treatment to all areas of the valley.
Bitterroot Physicians Clinic North, 2386 Hwy 93 N in Victor, will be open Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 375-2990 for an appointment or same-day appointment.