Years of service: Big Sandy Clinic continues to help rural area with healthcare needs

According to representatives for the clinic, the vision of Eden Valley Telehealth Service, doing business as Big Sandy Clinic, is improving healthcare access and quality of life for the rural areas of Southwest Wyoming, including Farson and Eden.

Big Sandy Clinic, which is a 501 © (3) organization, opened its doors on April 1, 2013. They have partnered with several organizations such as United Way of Southwest Wyoming. University of Wyoming, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, Castle Rock Health District, Western Wyoming Family Planning and area physicians.

Services at Big Sandy Clinic include:

• Local physician drug testing chiropractor
• Wellness — Health Fair
• Sports Physicals
• INR Testing
• Blood work
• flu shots
• Blood pressure
• 12 step-meetings
• DOT physicals
• DOT medical
• Grief counseling

They also take new Medicare and Medicaid patients and use a sliding fee scale regardless of patient’s ability to pay.

They deliver healthy snacks for elementary students and host an annual fundraising event.

Over the years, more than 40 organizations in Sweetwater County have made their existence possible. According to a May 5, 2012, Rocket Miner news article, United Way of Southwest Wyoming assisted with the clinic’s start-up process by giving them $9,000; the University of Wyoming donated $9,500. The Sweetwater County Board of Commissioners provided a letter of support for the clinic in 2012.

Mary Ann Mines, Megan Mines and Kristine Mines opened up about the community’s needs for the facility.

Mary Ann, director of Eden Valley Telehealth Services, is an emergency medical technician from Farson. She and her team connect those in the Farson/Eden area with outside specialists through interactive video. Telemedicine uses electronic communication to enable healthcare providers at different locations to share individual patient medical information to improve patient care. It can be used for diagnosis, therapy, follow up data recording and education. It provides access to specialists outside Sweetwater County, such as Salt Lake City or Denver; it’s faster than ambulance or air transport and at a lower cost. This also takes away the stress of traveling to Rock Springs during inclement weather, especially for rural cancer patients.

The clinic has served individuals with emergent needs.

Mary Ann shared an experience she had with the late Dale Newland. He was lighting a new water heater and it “blew up in his face,” according to Mines. His eyebrows were burnt off, his hair was singed, and his legs and arms were burnt. The back of his hands were completely burnt.

“We were able to use the telehealth machine to show the injuries to a burn doctor at University of Utah,” said Mary Ann. “He talked us through what we needed to do to treat the wounds; this was three days after the burn. The doctor said, ‘If you would have gone to the ER in Rock Springs, you would be at my facility for 10 days.’”

She explained that since he had made it past the “worst pain part,” they were still able to assist him in the recovery process without making a trip to Salt Lake City.

“That’s astronomical money wise,” she expressed. “It would have cost him 10 days in a hospital and his wife would have had to go with him. The money that has been saved having a facility like this is just unbelievable.”

According to the clinic’s December 2021 patient count, the clinic served 115 males, 135 females, 82 patients from birth to 30 years of age; 113 patients, 31-64 years of age; 46 patients 64-84 years of age and nine patients, 85 years of age and older. As of press time, the data for 2023 is not yet available.

They also continue to serve heart patients in the valley.

“A man traveling through thought he was having a heart attack,” she shared. “He found us and came inside. We were able to hook him up and transmit the EKG to the ER in Rock Springs. The doctors looked at it and decided whether he needed to be transported by ambulance.”

As far as being a 501 © (3) organization, Mary Ann said there are struggles.

“Money is just not what it used to be,” she noted. “When you have a healthcare facility, in my opinion, there are three things that’s most important when you’re talking about survival mode — healthcare, education and families.

“When you’re in a community this size, you must have those things to work.”

The clinic is contracted with professionals who come to the facility to practice medicine, such as contractors from In-Motion Physical Therapy and Best Care Family Practice.

“If a patient suspects they have strep throat, we have the tools to see if that’s the case and tell their doctor what we see and then their doctor can prescribe medications, which we have on hand to get them through the weekend or until they’re able to get a full prescription from Rock Springs.”

Since the facility is rural telehealth, they have different guidelines to follow than the medical facilities in Rock Springs.

The staff is essentially medical assistants to the doctors that come to the Big Sandy Clinic, according to Morgan who has a dual role at the clinic. She is also an EMT and office manager. Kristine is not only the bookkeeper, but also an EMT, too.

“It keeps costs down because we don’t need a nurse here; we can take your blood pressure as EMT’s,” Mary Ann explained. “For diabetics, we provide foot care, too.”

Mary Ann has business and computer programming degrees. She has worked for Sweetwater County School District No. 1, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and a chemical company in Texas.

Looking back at what the team has accomplished over the years, Mary Ann said, “This is the most passionate thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s the least amount of money I’ve ever earned in my life, but this clinic is need-based and it’s a passion.”

Morgan worked for Sweetwater Medics. She chooses to stay with the clinic because she cares about the community and wants to help those in it.

“I’m not planning on going anywhere,” Morgan said. “You can’t find a job in Farson unless you’re doing this here at the clinic, or farming or working at the school or working at a convenience store.”

She added, “It’s not nice when people walk in here and they’re not feeling well, but it can be exciting to help them.”

A resident was in anaphylaxis shock after being stung by bees one day, according to Morgan. She said she was grateful they had the skills to help him because the result would have been tragic if he had to travel 50 miles for medical help.

“I was a very quiet person before coming here,” Morgan admitted. “Now, I’m outspoken and brave.”

Morgan pointed out that a chronically ill patient told them that if the clinic didn’t exist, she would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life.

“She can’t afford to drive to Rock Springs three times a week for chiropractic needs and physical therapy; she’s on a fixed income,” Morgan shared. “She feels this place is life-altering because she receives the care she needs here.”

Kristine moved to Farson from Fort Collins, Colorado. Her husband has been a law enforcement officer for years.

“When you have a service-minded family, you do these kinds of jobs because you have a passion to help people,” said Kristine. “We obviously don’t do it to make lots of money. We do it because we have a passion for it.”

Big Sandy Clinic is on Wyoming Highway 28 in Farson. Their hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. — 3 p.m. They are closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.