The Pediatric After Hours Clinic at Providence Centralia Hospital is seen Monday afternoon in Centralia.
Chehalis Children’s Clinic will increase its hours, due to Providence Centralia Hospital closing its Pediatric After Hours Clinic at the end of this year.
“This is what my response is to Providence closing the night clinic,” said Dr. Conrad LeProwse, owner of Chehalis Children’s Clinic.
Currently, Chehalis Children’s Clinic is open until 5 p.m. on weekdays, and offers weekend hours from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. After the Providence clinic closes, the Chehalis Children’s Clinic will remain open until 7 p.m. during weekdays and continue its weekend hours.
The Pediatric After Hours Clinic at Providence Centralia Hospital is currently staffed by Chehalis Children’s Clinic providers. LeProwse noted that most patients come to the clinic during the first hour from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“There are a lot of families where both parents work and for whatever reason they can’t get in during the day,” LeProwse said.
He said the clinic at Providence serves an average of 18 patients per night. The clinic originally opened in 1997, due to a need for after hours pediatric care in the area. Previously, Providence Centralia Hospital Site Administrator Jill Cooper told The Chronicle that that need is no longer there, or is already being met by other clinics.
“How 18 patients on average is not needed anymore — I have no idea how they came up with that,” LeProwse said.
LeProwse said he found out in September that the clinic was closing down. His only indication, he said, was that Providence requested a meeting with all of the clinic staff the previous week.
“I’m surprised that the hospital decided to go a different direction,” LeProwse said. “When we negotiated our last contract, the administrator for the hospital said the clinic was very important to the community. … I don’t know what happened that they decided after 20 years it’s no longer needed, but we will roll with the punches and change.”
Northwest Pediatric Center, a practice with four clinics in Lewis County, already offers later walk in hours for its own patients — noon until 8 p.m. on weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, according to its website.
Practice Manager Lisa McKay said she does not believe the practice’s hours will change after the Pediatric After Hours Clinic at Providence closes.
“We already offer evening hours and walk ins, so I don’t think we would change anything,” McKay said.
Valley View Health Center Pediatrics also serves patients in the evening. According to its website, the clinic serves patients until 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and until 6 p.m. on Friday.
Cooper previously told The Chronicle that 80 percent of patients who come to Providence’s clinic already had primary care providers in the area. LeProwse noted that people traveling from out of town, however, also use the clinic at Providence.
“The thing about the night clinic is you would have parents come in from the Great Wolf Lodge,” LeProwse said. “They would be out of town people. Now their option is to go to the Emergency Room. I think parents will have an interesting time.”
He noted that he believes his practice will be able to manage the influx of patients at the end of the year.
“We’re used to being a fast-paced clinic,” LeProwse said. “So it’s typical for us to be able to see a lot of kids when we have to.”
