Bob Green, a Rio Tinto Energy America official representing Wyoming Healthcare Coalition LLC confirmed that the building at 430 Medical Arts Court was the planned location for a health clinic scheduled to open in July. The coalition bought the 7,000-square-foot clinic from Antelope Medical Properties LLC in March for an undisclosed cash sum.

The clinic, which will serve Foundation Coal West, Powder River Coal and Rio Tinto, is a joint partnership between the coal giants and contract health care provider CHD Meridian, based in Pennsylvania.

As plans now stand, the clinic will have about 15 doctors, nurses and wellness experts in the facility expected to have radiology, pharmaceutical and general health services.

“Establishing this facility is the culmination of more than two years of analysis of regional health care services and options,” Green said in an e-mail earlier this week. “Like many rural communities, we have a real need for quality, accessible primary care medical services.

“Our health care model has three simple goals: We seek to provide high-quality primary care that is more accessible and more affordable than what is currently available,” he added.

One of the focuses will be on long-term health maintenance, a strategy Green said the coalition expects will bring down costs. Without providing specific cost figures of the program, he said the companies expect to end up “capturing significant value” from the clinic.

Source: The Gillette News-Record
Original Publication Date: April 10, 2008