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Hospital district withholds $50,000 from Frontier Medical amid service complaints
Summary
Trustees tabled Frontier Medical’s $50,000 invoice and directed the clinic to provide written financial and service reports after multiple complaints about posted hours, missed appointments and lab errors; the motion to pay other invoices passed 4–0.
Trustees for the Mac County Hospital District on Aug. 22 voted to pay three vendor invoices but tabled a $50,000 payment requested by Frontier Medical until the clinic provides clearer written information about services and billing. Chair Don Kaminsky said the board has received complaints about missed posted hours and lab errors and asked the clinic to document what services it is delivering before the district disburses additional funds.
"We need to look into this to see just exactly what is being offered," Kaminsky said, explaining why trustees wanted more detail before approving a large payment. Vice Chair Charles Keller and other trustees described instances when patients returned for lab work because vials were not available or samples were not labeled properly. Trustee Nancy urged that when Frontier next appears before the board it submit written documentation of how any funds would be used.
Frontier representative Heather Sampson told trustees some closures were "situational" — staff attending coalition meetings or running errands — and attributed a blood-draw tube shortage to having to source supplies from Las Vegas. "We're waiting for funding for that, and that's gonna happen. So that's coming soon," Sampson said, adding the clinic hopes to reopen Fridays once funding arrives and that physicians cover some days via telemedicine.
After discussion a trustee moved to pay invoices for REMSA ($31,067.93), SixCo ($3,250) and Central Nevada Maintenance ($2.40) and to withhold Frontier’s $50,000 request pending further documentation; the motion passed 4–0. Trustees also directed that Frontier attend future meetings regularly and provide monthly reports on patient counts, staffing, supplies, billing and receipts so the board can evaluate whether public funds align with delivered services.
