New Moscow health clinic scheduled to open in June

MOSCOW - The Community Health Association of Spokane has selected a location across from Gritman Medical Center as the location for its new health center.

The clinic will open in early June at 719 Main St. The city of Moscow, the hospital, and the local chapter of the League of Women Voters reached out to the association last year after studying poverty on the Palouse and finding a need for more low-income health care options.

Like its Lewiston location, the clinic will focus on underserved and uninsured patients, with a sliding cost scale based on ability to pay.

"As a former nurse, I am keenly aware of the dangers of forgoing preventative care, ignoring nagging symptoms until a crisis, relying on emergency rooms for everyday colds and earaches, and expecting the current medical model to sustainably absorb under-insured patients," Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney said in a statement. "Too many people are one health crisis away from homelessness, hunger, unemployment or financial catastrophe."

Association CEO Peg Hopkins said 25 percent to 60 percent fewer people get basic care in Latah County, compared to the national average. In 2010, more than 11 percent of county residents were uninsured, with the nearest health care providers to offer a sliding scale at least 35 miles away.

When the association announced its intention last year to open a Moscow location, it cited that gap in geography as a major reason for expanding onto the Palouse.