September 16, 2011 

Friends of Riffe Medical Center

 Dear Friends,

 I am writing to inform you of some changes that have been taking place at the clinic.  If you have been here any time in the last several months you will have noticed staffing changes.  Becky Jacobson has retired after 5 years of excellent service, to pursue other life options and will be filling in on occasion.  In her place I am happy to announce the hiring of Tammie Razey, formerly of the Country Lunchbox.  She has been with us for nearly 2 months now and is doing a great job.

 Misty Stephens will be transitioning to the billing office and will take on the role of office manager as well. She continues to provide great service in my efforts to care for you.  Ruby Noblitt, who came from Arizona and semi-retirement, is now going into full retirement at the end of this year. I really appreciate the outstanding addition she has been to the office and wish her the best.  In Misty’s place at the checkout desk we have hired Chanie Moorcroft. She is in her first month with us and is doing an excellent job. Doing medical referrals is a complicated job and she is doing quite well.

 My wife, Joanne, has been working part time at the front and will also go into “semi-retirement“ and will continue to help me with accounts payable and fill in at the front on occasion. I really enjoyed the chance to work with her, and want to thank her for the great job she also did.

 Nursing staff is somewhat changed.  Magret and Julie, the anchors of the staff with their longevity here, continue to serve with excellence.  We will be adding a new back office assistant in the near future.

 Laura Behrends, PA-C has been here nearly a year already.  She has been a terrific addition as many of you have discovered.

 To answer the question many of you are contemplating, what brought about all this? Let me tell you.

 In short, after considering this for the last several years, I have decided to sell my practice.

 The long version of this is that I am remaining at the clinic as the doctor.  I have been my own boss for 18 years and have enjoyed the freedom that brings with it. However, with the changing landscape in medicine I no longer want to engage the business aspect of medicine. I love being a doctor and all that entails. But the time has come to let someone else run the business side of it and make payroll, pay taxes, pay benefits, deal with governments and insurances, etc etc.

 As such, I have entered into a relationship with Lewis County Hospital District #1/Morton General Hospital and they will take over the business of the clinic.  This change, while significant, will hardly look any different to you as you come to the clinic. No doubt there will be some changes, however I am reassured by Ron DeArth, the hospital CEO, that he is not interested in making wholesale modifications.

 This agreement will allow me to continue to practice family medicine without all the hassle and worry of running the business of the practice. I am really looking forward to the transition. I will continue to be here for you, as I have been for nearly two decades. I anticipate that with this change there will be some upgrades to our services here, but can’t divulge details just yet as that is still to be worked out.

 It is the wave of the present and the future to see doctors and hospitals make these kinds of affiliations.  It is happening all over the USA and here in Washington.  There was a time when I wanted to be the last family doctor standing on his own in America and go down swinging as an iconic independent renegade, but the sacrifice to the practice and to me personally makes that a ludicrous goal. So I will let someone else take that title.

 I am quite happy to formalize this relationship with Morton General Hospital. I think this will be good for the practice and people Riffe Medical Center serves. I anticipate the clinic name will remain largely the same. If you have traditionally gone to other hospitals for tests or hospitalizations, that need not change for you. The same options will be open to you as before.

Under Ron DeArth''s leadership the hospital has brought in some outstanding services and doctors that have greatly benefitted the mid and east Lewis County areas. For those reasons, I am very comfortable making this affiliation.

I have one last item to tell you about.  I have begun working in the ER at Morton General on Friday afternoons and nights.  This affords me an opportunity to add something a little different to my practice of medicine. So far it is quite enjoyable and professionally stimulating.

 Thank you for the opportunity to serve you these past 18 years. In that time we have seen nearly 100,000 patients. I look forward to continuing to care for you as long as you will grant me that privilege.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the office or stop by for a brief chat.

 To Your Good Health,

 Kevin W. McCurry, MD