A recent health care forum in Powell was a good start toward answering questions for local residents about health care options in Powell. 

Years ago, health care was pretty simple: If you were sick, you went to see your doctor, who did his best to heal you. 

With the advent of modern medical procedures, things became more complicated. That led to the rise of more medical specialists — orthopedic surgeons, internists, pediatricians, cardiologists, OB-gynecologists, pulmonologists, oncologists, hematologists, neurologists, etc. — who are able to use their specialized knowledge and skills to treat conditions and heal diseases that formerly were beyond the abilities of the medical profession. 

But we still rely on our family doctors — family practice or primary care physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners — to treat us for common injuries and ailments, and to help us begin to solve bigger puzzles of what might be causing our symptoms or discomfort and point us to the right specialists for further treatment. 

These days, even that can get complicated. The Affordable Care Act, along with other federal regulations, has made the medical world one that can be difficult to navigate, both for patients and for medical providers. 

The addition of two new medical clinics in Powell, both of which provide care through different models, added more choices than we used to have here. For some, that added to the confusion. But, overall, those choices are good, and they have improved access to medical care for many. 

The Oct. 14 forum, “Powell Docs Talk,” provided answers about the different care models and the philosophies, reasoning and funding behind them. 

Following is a summary of that information:

• Powell Valley Clinic offers the traditional model of primary care. It operates under Powell Valley Healthcare (www.pvhc.org), the organization that runs Powell Valley Hospital, Powell Valley ExpressCare, Powell Valley Care Center and The Heartland Assisted Living Community. It also serves as the VA Clinic for the Big Horn Basin, providing care to veterans.

Powell Valley Healthcare treats patients who are covered by insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and self-pay.

Powell Valley Healthcare is the only one of the three models that provides obstetrical (OB) services.

The clinic is open for scheduled appointments during traditional business hours.

Powell Valley ExpressCare is open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, on a first-come, first-served basis, without appointments.

The emergency room at Powell Valley Hospital is staffed round the clock.

• Heritage Health Center (www.heritagehealthcenter.org) is a government-funded community health center that provides care on a sliding-fee scale, based on household income. 

The center is an access point for providing medical care to people who are uninsured or underinsured. But Heritage sees Medicare, Medicaid and insured patients. It does not provide OB services, but it does provide mental health care, said Dr. Juanita Sapp of Heritage Health Center. Dental services also are listed on the center’s website.

It is open for four and a half days per week, with hours extended until 8 p.m on Tuesdays.

• 307Health (307health.org) operates on a direct primary care model. It does not accept insurance, Medicaid, Medicare or any other third-party payer; instead, it provides care on a monthly fee basis, which ranges according to each patient’s age. There is no charge for individual visits. It does not provide OB services.

307Health is designed to allow doctors to spend more time providing care for and interacting with their patients without the frustrations and additional costs caused by the federal government’s and insurance companies’ complicated rules and regulations. 

The clinic is open during traditional office hours, and doctors provide their cell phone numbers and email addresses to their patients for 24-7 access.

The forum also stressed that all three medical organizations work together to meet their patients’ needs. 

All three clinics rely on Powell Valley Hospital to provide emergency, laboratory, radiology, OB and surgical services, and to treat patients with acute illnesses. 

Heritage Health Center’s federally funded model allows it to care for people who can’t afford medical care through the traditional or direct primary care models, many of whom have gone without routine, preventive medical care. Its organizers — members of the Powell Health Care Coalition — believe the center will reduce uncompensated care and inappropriate use of emergency medical services at Powell Valley Hospital. 

The forum also stressed the need to support Powell Valley Hospital to ensure that we have a strong hospital to serve our community’s medical needs. 

The “Powell Docs Talk” health forum provided good information and a platform for doctors to help answer people’s questions about local health care options.

Forum planners said additional events are possible, particularly if they receive similar questions from the public that indicate more information is needed. 

In today’s world, where obtaining medical care in a rural setting has become increasingly difficult, Powell is fortunate to have three different medical clinics, each operating under a different model. As Sapp put it, “It is so unique for a small community to have three different models. We should be the model for the country.”