A contract with Nevada Health Centers Inc. for operation of the Beatty and Amargosa Valley clinics that was allowed to expire June 30, was renewed by Nye County Commissioners Thursday, but for only 90 days while proposals are received from any interested medical providers.

Nevada Health Centers Inc. was given a $236,073 contract from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. The county commission Thursday approved a $59,018 change order to extend the contract 90 days, a rate of $19,672.25 per month.

Beatty town board member Joannie Jarvis said the town has been without a doctor since January, resulting in many closures of the clinic. The company has the ability to obtain doctors from other communities, she said.

Beatty town board members offered $100,000 in incentives to attract a doctor.

"We've had quite a few closures and the community has complained about that," Jarvis said. "Letting our clinic be closed for three days a week is unacceptable."

Amargosa Valley Town Board chairwoman Jan Cameron asked county commissioners to amend the contract. She said the clinics no longer take blood or urine samples, requiring many patients to drive to Pahrump or Las Vegas.

"The reason given at this clinic was if they take blood and urine samples it makes them responsible for us which on the surface appears ludicrous," Cameron said.

Beatty Clinic Coordinator Robin Scarborough said they only take blood and urine samples from patients who have a primary physician at the clinic.

"It is a liability issue. We are a clinic, we are not a lab," said Robin Scarborough, Beatty clinic coordinator. "Our policy is we need to see you as a patient once a year. Our doctors are responsible for reading, interpreting and possibly acting on whatever those lab results are."

A suggestion to draft a hold harmless agreement over blood draws would have to be negotiated.

"We do want whoever the provider is, to collaborate on more of a direct basis with outside providers," Beatty Town Board member Theresa Sullivan said. "It really is imperative that the doctors in the clinic in Beatty and Amargosa work with specialty doctors wherever they may be and that would include blood draws."

Last year, the departure of Dr. Beatriz Ang forced the clinics to scale back operations to regular business hours. Dr. Donald Merutka is due to start work in Beatty in mid-August for a short term assignment. Dr. Charles Quilty is the doctor at the Amargosa Valley clinic.

The contract with Nevada Health Clinics Inc. allows diagnostic lab services for simple things like bladder infections, pregnancy and strep throat, Scarborough said. Other services offered at the clinics in the contract include radiology, a pharmacy, immunizations, diagnosis and treatment by primary care providers.

The clinics provide care to patients regardless of ability to pay. Some funding comes in the forms of grants from the U.S. Public Health Service.