Olympic Medical Center’s business office and finance department are working with Sherwood Medical Group to handle the clinic’s billing, said Rhonda Curry, the hospital district’s assistant administrator.

That will allow the clinic to continue seeing Medicare patients while a new doctor is recruited to the practice, she said.

"Everything is going well. The search for a new doctor is one of the key pieces we’re continuing to work on. That will be presented at a future board meeting for approval of the contract," Curry said.

At its Dec. 17 board meeting, the hospital district’s board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the district to help recruit a doctor for Sherwood Medical Group.

The board also authorized the board president and administrators to sign all necessary agreements to operate a clinic located at 540 W. Hendrickson Road, where Sherwood Medical Center currently operates, over a period of up to 10-months to have time to find a long term solution for the clinic’s patients.

Dr. Paul Hoque was one of two physicians at the practice, along with Dr. Laura Kittle. She was recruited to the practice by Olympic Medical Center in March 2007.

It also has two physician assistants, Rob Dalm, who has been there five years, and Maureen Floeting, who has been there three years.

Hoque died in late October after a two-year battle with cancer. Many of the clinic’s 4,000 patients are Port Angeles residents who followed him to Sequim when he opened Sherwood Medical Group in 2000 in space leased from Sherwood Assisted Living.

"The news is positive, there’s been a lot of great cooperation. Our people are working closely with theirs. There’s just a mutual concern for the patients," Curry said.