By Bill Donati – Shawn Lerch, CEO of Miners Colfax Medical Center (MCMC) visited KRTN’s “This, That and The Other” program on Friday, August 5 and passed along the news that Dr. Lee Caruana will be closing his practice and will provide no medical services after September 1. Caruana has been in practice for 27 years after earning his doctorate in 1987 while graduating from UNM and will officially close on September 15.
Patients of Dr. Caruana will have to coordinate with him about medical records and prescription refills and Lerch stressed that the patient can choose whomever they want as their new provider, and that MCMC is open to serve and meet the public’s health and wellness needs.
If you want to find out about the providers at the Primary Care Clinic at MCMC, a New Patient Packet is available at the clinic front desk or on the website www.minershosp.org . If a patient is filling out a packet to establish care, but is not in immediate need of a scheduled appointment, be advised the next new patient appointment could be 3 to 4 weeks away.
Please fill out the packet thoroughly and make sure all records get to MCMC. It is important that they have all the information as it helps to not duplicate tests or referrals that have already been done.
When a patient comes to the clinic, please bring all of your medication bottles and please be patient, there may be longer wait times in order to accommodate the needs of more patients.
If your child is in need of a physical or has an acute issue, please call the clinic and they will do everything in their power to accommodate.
Lerch also said in the short-term, practitioners are extending hours on certain days and are streamlining the process for changing providers. Temporary practitioners are also being requested through UNM.
In the long-term, MCMC has hired two new practitioners with a Nurse Practitioner already starting and a Physicians Assistant starting this fall and they are actively recruiting another Family Medicine Physician.
Lerch also said that Cardiology services will begin on September 8 and the Behavioral Health Clinic is still planning on starting up services in the next 6 to 9 months.
A community meeting is scheduled for August 23rd at 5:00 p.m. at the Clinic. It will be a state-of-the-state report and the public is encouraged to ask questions. The meeting will also be a 1st Anniversary Celebration for the Primary Care Clinic with tours given and cake and refreshments served.
