Health Department Services At Molino Clinic To Remain Cut

July 28, 2009

The availability of some medical services at the Molino location of the Escambia County Health Department will remain at one day per week, a cut from the weekly services that were offered until May of this year.

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“We will continue with one full clinic day per month on the first Thursday of the month into the foreseeable future,” said Molly Payne-Hardin, spokesperson for the Escambia County Health Department.

The decreased services started in May due to the early and unexpected retirement of a health department doctor, according to Payne-Hardin.

The nurse practitioner who did see patients weekly in Molino was moved to the main Fairfield Drive location of the health department due the doctor’s retirement, she said. Additionally, Payne-Hardin said the department must wait to see what happens to their budget before replacing the retired doctor.

The Molino location is the only health department location offering full clinic services in North Escambia. The Century location only offers The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

“It’s too soon to say when we will be able to find another doctor,” she said. “We may have to fill the need with a nurse practitioner.”  In May, Payne-Hardin said the health department hoped to return to a weekly full clinic in Molino, but at this point she said that does not look likely.

The impacted services include family planning, sexually transmitted disease services and physical exams that require the services of a doctor or nurse practitioner.  WIC, immunization and dental services offered at the Molino Clinic have not changed, Payne-Hardin said.

“We hope this is a temporary change until the state budget is finalized and we know our funding for the coming year,” Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza said in May. “Again, this only affects clinic services such as family planning and school physicals –- our dental, immunization and WIC services remain the same.”

The medical services at the Molino Clinic will be available on the first Thursday of each month; the next available day will be August 6. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 595-6500.

Free immunization services are also available in Molino on Wednesday. Call 595-6554 for more information and an appointment.

Comments

5 Responses to “Health Department Services At Molino Clinic To Remain Cut”

  1. INSTIGATOR on August 2nd, 2009 8:07 am

    THE ONLY GOVERNMENT MOLINO HAS IS THE WATER UTILITES. WE NEED MOLINO TO HAVE ITS OWN GVT. MAYOR ETC MAYBE THEN WE HAVE A VOICE. ARENT WE STILL A CITY? OR DID WE GIVE THAT BACK TOO WHEN WE GAVE OUR MOLINO PROPWERTIES TO THE COUNTY? ALL OUR BUSINESS ARE CLOSING. ITS 11 MILES TO THE NEAREST GROCERY STORE. LETS REBUILD MOLINO OR IT WILL DROP FROM THE FACE OF THE MAP

  2. Concerned on July 28th, 2009 6:29 pm

    Has anyone taken a look at the pregnancy and sexually transmitted rates in North Escambia? Immunizations in Molino are not given more than one day a week. Nor school exams etc. If the Health Department was open maybe the WIC would not be increasing due to the lack of accessability of Birth Control. We need to get this clinic back open even if it is a PRN. Better than nothing. Alot of people don’t have transportatioin further than this facility. Does anyone know who to contact other than local to get this clinic open?

  3. Speak Up on July 28th, 2009 5:56 pm

    If you don’t want it to close then you have to speak up and make change happen.
    Molino is a GREAT so let’s not let it “dissappear” off the map…..We have to Keep making a NOISE and they will either listern or they will Do something to “shut us up!” If we just keep quiet it will just go away…. and that is not what we all want.

  4. proud parent on July 28th, 2009 9:01 am

    I agree with you Molino mom 100%!!!

  5. Molino MOm on July 28th, 2009 7:27 am

    What do you want to bet they just close it? The county is going to start doing to Molino what they did to Century and take it all away.