SEQUIM — Sherwood Medical Center will close its doors in September, when the Sequim practice that serves 6,000 will lose its temporary lease with Olympic Medical Center.
Dr. Paul Hoque, who opened Sherwood Medical Center in 2000, died last October after a battle with cancer.
OMC stepped in to keep Sherwood afloat last December when the seven hospital commissioners approved the temporary lease.
But efforts to recruit a private practice physician to buy the facility at 540 W. Hendrickson Road have been unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, two of the three remaining providers have left the clinic.
“The cost to OMC of maintaining access at the Sherwood Medical Clinic will soon surpass $300,000,” said OMC spokesman Jeff Anderson.
“Nonetheless, OMC has committed to assuring the clinic will remain open through the legally available one-year term ending in September.”
Letters have gone out to Sherwood’s patients saying the clinic will close in September. The required notice in 30 days.
Patients are encouraged to arrange for care with other providers, Anderson said.
Before the extended closure of the Hood Canal Bridge, Olympic Medical Center, Forks Community Hospital and Jefferson Healthcare teamed up to form a call center to help patients locate a physician on the North Olympic Peninsula.
That hotline, 1-888-DOC-6260, remains open.
OMC’s temporary lease allowed Sherwood to continue billing Medicare. More than half of Sherwood’s patients are Medicare patients.
The clinic is not affiliated with Sherwood Assisted Living.
OMC will hold a public forum in Sequim in the next few weeks to engage public input.
“There is a known shortage of access to primary care in the community,” Anderson said.
“This is a nationwide problem. Several practices in the Sequim community are actively recruiting.”
Anderson said OMC is monitoring the impact of Sherwood’s upcoming closure.
He said OMC plans to continue its active role in recruitment of medical providers to the community.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
