Washoe Med facility in Fernley seen as help to business

Fernley officials see newly expanded medical services provided by Washoe Medical Center as creating a more favorable climate for business as well as having a positive effect on the community.

"It just means that businesses are going to able to attract more qualified people," says Mayor Dave Stix."I think we are going to see more businesses coming to Fernley and relocate because of this one small aspect."

Fernley, along with the much of Lyon County, has seen unprecedented growth in the past several years and residential building has been booming.

On the retail side, the Wal-Mart recently announced the opening up of a Supercenter in town.And with Washoe Medical's expanded facility, Stix says,"One aspect adds to the other and it kind of completes the full circle.

"And so for those people who are already living here, who have homes here, are going to have a better ability to look around and say 'Hey I can get a job here in Fernley and can have better medical care, too," Stix adds.

The 7,000-square-foot facility will provide family care, urgent care and clinical lab and imaging services to the growing community of about 13,500.

Currently the Washoe Medical Center and Banner Churchill Community Hospital of Fallon operate clinics that offer limited health care services.

Currently most businesses in Fernley have to send their workers' compensation patients to Reno.And so if a worker is injured, that takes away not only the injured person but also another employee to escort the injured person, says Walter Davis, director of physician services at Washoe Medical Center.

"Our goal is to be the first place of contact for any primary injury," he says.

Davis says the facility will provide primary health care services which have been given priority by community surveys.

The facility also will allow companies to get the appropriate level of care for injured workers, rather than sending them to an emergency room in Reno.

"That will have an important bearing on cost," Davis says.

The $4.5 million project is expected to be completed by May.

The new center will house four physicians, up from the present two, and two nurses, a medical records clerk, a file clerk and two receptionists.