By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
VICTORIA — A new practitioner is set to take over the clinic owned by the city of Victoria soon after the city council voted to remove First Care from the facility at its meeting last Monday.
Jamie Schneider, nurse practitioner and owner of Golden Rule Health, is currently seeing patients in Victoria on an as-needed basis in a one-room space rented in Robben Insurance, 416 Main, and spoke to the council during the meeting about potentially moving into the clinic.
"Right now, I am seeing patients in Victoria just by appointment only," Schneider said. "I am wanting to expand, but I can't do that where I am."
Schneider said, even working out of the small space, she has already picked up over 200 clients through word of mouth alone, and believes she is ready to take the next step towards being a full-time clinician.
"I am growing, slowly, but that's how I wanted to do it," she said.
She told the council if she was allowed to work out of the clinic she would offer far more open hours than First Care is currently providing.
"I am missing opportunities because I am not here three or four days a week," Schneider said.
She currently works seven days a week between an emergency room position in Great Bend and Russell Urgent Care.
"What I want to do is focus on the clinic," she said.
She currently is seeing patients in Victoria nights and weekends in order to build her following, but with the new space, she said she could expand her practice and fill a need in the community.
"I would love to use the health clinic that is already set up here in town," Schneider told the council. "All I really want is to be able to utilize that building."
After moving in, she said she would commit to operating the clinic at least three days a week, with plans to expand hours as the practice grows and revenue can cover expenses.
"One of the biggest complaints is that it is not open enough," said Erica Dinges, council member. "So hearing that you want to grow is music to our ears, because that is what we want to do too."
And Schneider has family ties to the area and no plans to leave in the foreseeable future.
"I am looking for long term," she said. "I want this to grow and I want this to succeed. I want it to be my one and only job because that is what I am passionate about."
Moving into the larger facility will also allow Schneider to see more patients, including those on Medicare, who are currently unable to come to her current location due to facility regulations.
"I am very grateful for even the opportunity to utilize that building," she said.
The change comes as the council has discussed over the last year the utilization of the building and potentially other options for the clinic space, including converting it into a new city hall.
The commissioners, however, agreed that having a clinic that is open more is the best use of the building after hearing from Schneider.
"This is better overall for the city," said John Schulte, mayor.
The council unanimously approved the termination of the contract with First Care and they were notified last week. They now have 60 days to vacate the facility.
But Schulte said the termination did not cause any hard feelings with First Care and, in previous meetings between the council and First Care leadership, the hardship around providing more hours in the Victoria clinic had been discussed.
The proposed contract with Schneider will be the same as First Care — a one-year contract that will automatically renew and can be canceled by either party with a 60-day notice.
Schneider said she would move into the clinic as soon as it is available.
The council hopes to sign the contract with Schneider at its September meeting.