Last Frontier Pharmacy Announces New Policy to Safely Accommodate Shift in Local Pharmaceutical Needs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 29, 2025 ALTURAS, Calif. – Last Frontier Pharmacy has announced the implementation of a new policy regarding prescription transfers. In recent months, Modoc Medical Center’s retail pharmacy has experienced a significant influx of patients seeking continuity of care due to the closure of Rite Aid Pharmacy in Alturas. This spurred pharmacy staff to thoughtfully design new procedures to best serve patients and local pharmacy partners. Full Profile Transfer to Ensure Patient Safety To uphold patient safety standards, Last Frontier Pharmacy requires a full medication profile transfer for any patients transferring prescriptions. Without a full medication profile transfer, the pharmacy will not be able to accommodate filling transferred prescriptions. This gives our pharmacists the opportunity to do their due diligence to avoid drug errors, duplications, and interactions. Our team of pharmacists will fully abide by this philosophy to provide the best possible patient care in their professional capacity to ensure safe, whole-patient health. Pharmacy staff emphasize the importance of having all prescriptions filled at one location whenever possible. “Consolidating your medications under one pharmacy allows our team to see the full clinical picture, avoid duplication, reduce drug interactions, and minimize the risk of errors when serving our patients,” explained Vahe Hovasapyan, Director of Pharmacy Services at Modoc Medical Center. “This allows our pharmacists to deliver the highest level of care while responsibly managing growing demands.” Supporting New and Existing Patients Last Frontier Pharmacy welcomes new patients, whether they choose to stay on a short or long-term basis. That said, patients are encouraged to initiate their transfer process as soon as possible. This advance notice grants staff sufficient time to gather medical information, secure medication supplies, and prepare to meet patient needs during this transitional period. “Maintaining adequate inventory while ensuring safe and accurate service will be an ongoing challenge in the coming months,” said Hovasapyan. “By initiating transfers early, patients give our team the best opportunity to prepare and deliver the care they deserve.” Expanding Services to the Community In addition to updating policy, Last Frontier Pharmacy is actively working to meet growing demand for reliable, patient-centered service. In recent weeks, Last Frontier Pharmacy has hired a second retail pharmacist and expanded its storefront to accommodate the recent influx of patients. Additionally, pharmacy leadership plans to extend its hours of operation into the weekends. MMC anticipates this expansion in the coming months. In the meantime, Last Frontier Pharmacy and MMC remain committed to prioritizing patient safety and accessibility and welcome any constructive feedback from community members and partner organizations. “We are profoundly grateful for the trust our patients place in us,” said Darryl Moore, Last Frontier’s Retail Pharmacy Manager. “Our team is committed to growing with the community, ensuring reliable access to prescription drugs, and helping every individual maintain their health and wellbeing.”
Modoc Medical Center Expands Skilled Nursing Care with CMS Approval of Dual Facilities
Alturas, Calif. — Modoc Medical Center (MMC) announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a request to continue operations at Warnerview Skilled Nursing Facility alongside the newly constructed Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility. This approval ensures that MMC can significantly expand its capacity to meet the growing demand for skilled nursing care across the region. Together, the two facilities will be able to serve a total of 84 residents, providing a vital resource for the area’s aging population. “At a time when folks across the nation are experiencing limited skilled nursing options, we are proud to grow and provide these essential services locally,” said Ed Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer of Modoc Medical Center. “This expansion means more residents can remain close to their families and communities while receiving the highest quality of care.” To meet CMS requirements and ensure exceptional, individualized care for every resident, Modoc Medical Center expects to hire nearly 50 additional employees to staff both Warnerview and Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facilities. The MMC Human Resources Department is prepared to recruit talent across several departments, including nursing, dietary, social services, environmental services, and activities. “We’re grateful to be able to add these jobs of various classifications to our local economy,” noted MMC’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Kramer. “This effort not only expands the level of care we can provide but also reaffirms our commitment to investing in our community via job creation and retention.” This announcement comes at a critical moment while communities across the country face critical healthcare shortages – especially those in rural areas with rapidly aging populations. By maintaining and expanding its facilities, MMC strengthens its commitment to ensuring families in Modoc County and surrounding areas have access to compassionate, specialized care close to home. MMC will release more details surrounding the opening of Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility and its mass hiring initiative in the coming days. Please direct any questions to Modoc Medical Center via phone at (530) 708-8800 or email at info@modocmedicalcenter.org. ### Media Contact: Rylee Pedotti Marketing Coordinator Modoc Medical Center Phone: (530) 708-8822 Email: rpedotti@modocmedicalcenter.org
Now accepting electronic New Patient Packets at Alturas Clinic
The MMC Alturas Clinic has recently unveiled a fillable PDF version of its New Patient Packet to increase patient accessibility. Please be advised that Release of Information signatures must be obtained in-person. Please complete all other pages of the packet electronically, and those signatures will be collected at the time of your first visit. Completed packets may be electronically submitted to info@modocmedicalcenter.org. Please list “New Patient Packet” in the email subject line to ensure expedient processing. Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out by phone at (530) 708-8820 or email at info@modocmedicalcenter.org.
MMC issues statement on federal budget cuts to Medicare/Medicaid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJULY 24, 2025 ALTURAS, CALIF. – Modoc Medical Center has had concerned community members askabout the financial impact of the H.R.1 “One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)” that was signed intolaw by President Trump on July 4th. Some of these concerns stem from a letter by severalU.S. Senators addressed to President Trump and key Congressional leaders prior to thevote on the OBBB. The letter expressed concerns about rural facilities remaining financiallyviable with the proposed health care cuts included in the bill and cited a University of NorthCarolina report that analyzed the financial health of rural hospitals nationwide using publicdata. This report listed all rural hospitals in the top tenth percentile of facilities based onthe volume of Medi-Cal (Medicaid) patients they serve. Since Modoc Medical Center (MMC) provides services to a large number of Medi-Calpatients, the letter identified MMC as one of the “at-risk” rural hospitals in California. It isimportant to note that MMC was not listed as a result of any financial indicator that theorganization is in any current financial distress. Nationally, the OBBB will reduce Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over the next decade.Provisions of the OBBB will be implemented over the course of the next several years, withchanges of varying impact taking effect over multiple fiscal years. These changes areexpected to have a substantial impact on MMC, where more than 50% of the organization’snet patient revenue comes from the Medi-Cal program. The enactment of the OBBBrepresents the largest Medicaid cut in U.S. history through sweeping structural changes toeligibility, enrollment, and financing. Given the scale of these cuts and the timing ofimplementation over the next few years, MMC leadership is diligently assessing theimpacts of OBBB provisions on an individual basis as federal and state guidance becomesavailable. “We are committed to understanding this bill in its entirety to better project theshort and long-term financial ramifications on MMC,” said MMC CEO Kevin Kramer. “Whilethe financial impact of the federal budget cuts is significant, I am confident that we will beable to find a way to continue to provide high quality health care services in our communityfor many more years to come.” Over the past decade, Modoc Medical Center has been fortunate to maintain a positiveoperating margin. Unlike many rural hospitals, MMC benefits from stable and reliablerevenue sources, including a locally collected district tax. While the federal budget cutsrepresent a significant challenge to all healthcare providers, MMC leadership remainshopeful that the cuts can be navigated in a way that will allow the organization to remainfinancially viable and continue to grow.