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DRIGGS — Thinking of heading to Idaho Falls to see a specialist, but afraid of making the drive in winter?
With their newly remodeled suite of exam rooms, Teton Valley Health Care is making it easier for locals to see specialty physicians without having to leave the valley.
“Teton Valley is fairly isolated and it can be especially hard to drive out of town during the winter,” hospital CEO Keith Gnagey said in a press release. “I would rather have one doctor make the trip from Idaho Falls than have 20 local residents make the trip.”
In fact, several specialists, including Cardiologists Dr. Patrick Gorman, Dr. Blake Wachter and Dr. Douglas Blank, who make the trip from their office in Idaho Falls, are now seeing patients in what used to be the hospital’s physical therapy area.
In addition, a neurologist and a doctor who specializes in pain management also make stops in Driggs, and two regional teams make the trip as well: the University of Utah Hospital’s echo-cardio technicians and physicians from Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
“We’re hoping to bring a dermatologist soon,” said Ann Loyola, head of public relations for the hospital.
The 1,500-square-foot space, which offers half a dozen exam rooms, a central desk and a shared doctor’s office, was once the home to physical therapy. By June, work had begun to transform the space on the east end of the building from an open room with therapy machines to what it is today. The hospital has since moved physical therapy down to the patient hallway, where it’s more easily accessible.
Besides providing local access to specialty medicine, another factor in expanding the number of exam rooms was an even more basic need: more space.
“We’ve been running out of space,” Gnagey said inside the new suite. “We’re very pleased with how it turned out.”
Often, the Driggs Health Clinic of the hospital has been overbooked for examination rooms, and patients have had to wait months for appointments. Now, the need to wait is largely over, and Loyola said specialists have been booked for most of their time visiting Driggs.
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The hospital is also taking advantage of the remodeling momentum to update their color schemes and design throughout the decades-old space. Gnagey said constant improvements to the structure are an important part of the hospital’s 99-year lease with Teton County.
The new suite is painted colors that have been shown to enhance the patients’ experiences.
“People recover faster,” said Loyola, “they feel calmer.”
The hospital recently added video conferencing technology to allow other specialists to see what’s going on in Driggs. Loyola said the community expressed that they wanted access to centers of medical excellence. The current expansion continues to fulfill that need.
“If you’re going to be supportive to the community, you have to do everything you can to give people what they need,” Loyola said.
This article was originally published at Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.
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