Published: April 23, 2009 10:59 pm         

Proposed Enid VA health clinic faces hurdles

The proposed Veterans Affairs health clinic in Enid is being delayed, and one organizer is concerned it will be lost to another city.

Craig Vance, of Lahoma, a retired Navy captain, has worked on the clinic project for three years, but said there are problems with the federal contract and Integris Bass Baptist Health Center officials are balking at signing it. Vance said Integris ob-jects to some of the contract specifications.

Ted Mickle, regional administrator for Veterans Affairs, said he was enthusiastic about the Enid project and is frustrated by the delay.

“I hoped to have gotten things going much, much quicker,” he said. “We may have a solution coming up due to Mr. Wallace’s efforts.”

Rick Wallace is administrator of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

According to a statement by Integris Thursday, the hospital has submitted what officials believe is a competitive proposal to the VA, but to date have had no official response.

The clinic is scheduled to open June 1, and the end of the current fiscal year is Oct. 1.

“This is intended to be a permanent clinic, contracting with the U.S. government that pays its bills. It is a stable source of income,” Mickle said.

Wallace said they have been working on the project since last year. St. Mary’s is putting together a proposal, and he said he hopes to have something to the VA by the end of the month.

“It’s a tight timeline, but we think we can put it together,” he said. “We have to look at the physician component and the ancillary components. If we can put those together and negotiate within the requirements of the VA, we’re in business. We’re real excited about it.”

One alternative would be to change the facility to a VA staff facility, which is operated by VA. That was the first proposal by the VA, and Vance said there are some advantages to that operation, the main one being a staff facility is harder to close.

Vance is concerned about getting the project moving again, but he said the project will happen in this district. However, he said another community could come in and take the clinic away from Enid.

“If we don’t do it, we could lose it to another town in the region,” he said.

A clinic proposed for Stillwater was behind the Enid project, but has not moved up, Vance said. Ponca City lost its facility to Blackwell.

The clinic has been a project of Enid veterans for many years. Vance has worked on the project for three years and retired Army Maj. Gen. Clyde Spence was involved in the project for 15 years.

Mickle said he met with Integris representatives and an attorney from Integris corporate headquarters in Okla-homa, but interest has been more enthusiastic from St. Mary’s. Enid would attract veterans from north central and northwest Oklahoma.

Mickle said he has patients who drive to Oklahoma City from Woodward for treatment. If the clinic in Enid is opened, that drive would be half the distance.

“Plus, with all the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans returning, we wanted to be there for them,” he said.