A Libby medical clinic that diagnoses and treats people with asbestos-related diseases abruptly closed this week.
The Libby CARD Clinic received federal funding for years.
Congress set up the clinic and gave Libby-area residents Medicare benefits because exposure to asbestos in the community was so widespread.
Contaminated vermiculite from a now-closed mine was used for insulation and in gardens. It was even spread on the local baseball fields where children played.
The CARD Clinic lost its federal funding earlier this year and had planned to close at the end of this month. But a post on its Facebook page says the clinic is closing early” due to unforeseen circumstances beyond CARD’s control.”
A request for comment from the clinic’s director was not returned by deadline.
The clinic says it’s taking requests for the release of medical records but may not have the staff to process them.
The clinic says it’s consulting with government agencies and lawyers to figure out next steps for releasing patients’ medical files.
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After years of legal battles and funding uncertainty, Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Disease, or CARD clinic, says it will shutter permanently on August 31. -
The U.S. Attorney for Montana says the Lincoln County District Court overstepped its jurisdiction by allowing BNSF Railway to seize an asbestos clinic’s property in Libby. It's the latest development in a long-standing legal battle. -
A Libby clinic that screens locals for asbestos-related diseases was shuttered this week. A district court authorized the seizure of the clinic’s property to pay a court settlement.
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For decades, Libby residents have lived with the deadly aftermath of asbestos contamination from a now defunct vermiculite mine. People who were exposed to that asbestos are still getting sick. But getting a diagnosis could become more difficult as potential Trump Administration spending cuts threaten the specialized asbestos clinic that screens locals.
