Hospital district approves 60‑day interim contract with Frontier Medical Group amid community concerns

The Northern Nye County Hospital District board voted 3-0 on Aug. 21, 2025, to adopt an interim 60‑day contract with Frontier Medical Group for medical services, subject to agreed modifications and ongoing negotiations.

Trustees approved the contract with the explicit removal of two quality‑improvement clauses (items 8.1 and 8.2 in the contract draft) and the deletion of a general obstetrics mandate after discussion about the district's capacity and local emergency services. "If we sign this contract, whatever is included in that contract, I would have to do," the Frontier provider said, adding that the provider would stand by the terms it signs but raised concerns about the administrative burden of continuous quality‑improvement reporting. Trustees agreed to accept QI reporting handled directly by the district at point of patient checkout and to omit the board-required QI duties from Frontier's immediate obligations.

The board and multiple public speakers pressed Frontier on operational consistency, billing practices and outreach. The contract as discussed sets the monthly payment to Frontier at $41,006.67 per month; Frontier's provider told trustees that, with a multi‑year contract, the group could recruit more consistent onsite staff and expand clinical days. Public commenters described difficulty getting routine services and inconsistent provider schedules, and pressed Frontier to engage local employers and range operations to provide on‑site physicals and drug screens to bring patients to the clinic.

Several residents cited billing problems and inconsistent collection of copayments. A caller who identified herself as a taxpayer and business owner criticized the clinic's reliability and said some residents were told the clinic no longer performed drug screens. Frontier's provider acknowledged billing and scheduling problems and offered to meet with local residents and the clinic's billing staff to review specific cases.

Trustees also discussed clinical scope, agreeing to remove a general obstetrics requirement from the contract because the district lacks local transport and ambulance capacity for deliveries. "We would not ever anticipate being able to deliver babies here on a non‑emergent basis," the provider said, and trustees agreed to revise the contract language to focus on office gynecology and prenatal follow‑up only, with delivery arranged through outside hospitals.

The interim contract carries a 60‑day termination clause; trustees said they expect Frontier to address staffing consistency, billing, patient outreach and a transparent fee schedule within that period. The board directed the chair and district attorney to finalize the amended interim agreement and to obtain wet signatures as needed. The motion to adopt the 60‑day interim contract passed 3-0.