Saratoga residents can expect to travel less for health care services with the arrival of a new nurse practitioner health care clinic.
Dianne Hattle, an independent nurse practitioner from Cheyenne, opened Willow Creek Family Medicine, a new part-time facility in Saratoga, June 18. The new clinic resides at 211 N. First St. next to the Family Dollar in Saratoga.
“I’m just glad that we have a choice now” for health care, said Carrie Craig who has a future appointment with the clinic.
Currently, the clinic is open to patients Mondays and one Wednesday each month. However, Hattle has higher expectations for the new Saratoga clinic.
“We are hoping to be able to build a practice so we can be there five days a week,” Hattle said. “It looks like it’s going to happen pretty quickly.”
Thanks to a growing number of patients and community support, Hattle said she thinks a five-day-a-week clinic is very reasonable for Saratoga.
The idea for a clinic in Saratoga was not originally in the cards, she said. The idea blossomed after some of her patients who traveled for treatment suggested opening a clinic closer to home.
“I was already seeing several patients from Saratoga, and they requested us,” Hattle said. “We decided to fill that request.”
The need for more health care services in Carbon County is a strong one, said Memorial Hospital of Carbon County Director Ned Hill.
Hill said a large percentage of people living in the county will go elsewhere to seek health care. This year, MHCC is implementing a goal to minimize that percentage by offering more services.
“We want to bring the providers here instead of them having to travel for services,” Hill said.
Hattle said her new clinic, although not part of a hospital and not overseen by a physician, can also offer some specialty services, keeping Carbon County patients in Carbon County.
Hattle’s clinic is unique in that it operates independently from physicians, a feat possible because the state of Wyoming allows nurses to practice independently.
“Since Wyoming is such a rural state and there is a lack for practitioner care, we are encouraged to provide care,” Hattle said.
Hattle’s clinic in Saratoga can fulfill most general health care needs, and offers some special services like cardiology and pediatric care. However, Hattle said, as independent nurse practitioners, her clinic knows its limitations.
“We practice independently, but we have very good relations with our physicians in Cheyenne because we know our limitations,” she said.
Some of the “community support” the new clinic has received comes from MHCC and other physicians in the area wanting to help, Hattle said.
MHCC has offered its support, Hill said.
“We are supportive and glad to have any providers come,” he said.
Hattle said her clinic and MHCC may be able to have a good working relationship and trade services.
Hattle said, especially in a rural state like Wyoming, independent nurse practitioners are important for patients and nurses alike. However, there are not many independant nurse practitioners in Wyoming, she said.
There are some in Cheyenne, one in Laramie and one in Jackson, Hattle said.
Those clinics are useful because they can offer rural health care, while at the same time providing working experience for nurses starting in the field, Hattle said.
“My ultimate goal is to get NP practice independently across the state,” she said.
Hattle started nursing in 1992 and started her first independent clinic in Cheyenne in 2008.
Hattle said she started small with only six exam rooms, but later expanded to 11 rooms. Hattle also expanded her staff to include two more nurse practitioners, a cardiologist and two part-time echo techs.
Hattle said she remains very hopeful to expand a full-time operation in Saratoga.
“If we can fill it and be there five days a week, we will be there five days a week,” Hattle said.
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