New providers at Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic; Clinic opens May 3

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will be opening the new Waukon Clinic Monday, May 3. Those wishing to make an appointment are invited to call the new clinic number of 563-568-5530 to schedule an appointment for May or beyond.

Dr. Dave Schwartz will be the medical physician provider in this new clinic. He has been serving this community since 1995 and will continue by seeing patients in the new Waukon clinic while also continuing to provide care at Veterans Memorial Hospital, especially in one of his favorite departments, Maternity Services.

Sue McMillan, ARNP, is one of the two new providers to join the Veterans Memorial Hospital health care team. She is a graduate of Waukon High School and Mount Mercy University where she received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Sue began her career as a nurse at Veterans Memorial Hospital and soon became aware of the shortage and need for health care providers in rural areas. She was fortunate to work for a general surgeon who encouraged her to become a nurse practitioner.

Sue then completed her Master of Science degree from the University of Iowa and became a registered nurse practitioner. She provided clinical care at Prairie Medical Ltd. in Prairie du Chien, WI for 10 years, then transferred to the Gundersen Health Calmar Clinic for five years and most recently completed another six years at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie due Chien, WI.

“Waukon and Allamakee County are my home. Veterans Memorial Hospital is a pillar of our community and I have a passion for providing health care in rural areas,” states Sue. “It is very exciting to launch a new clinic in town. People desire to receive health care at home. I feel privileged to be a part of providing access and excellence to health care right here in Waukon.”

Sue looks forward to caring for men, women and children of all ages, from birth to end of life, and loves the variation in her family practice.

Halie Ruff, ARNP, the other new provider to join the health care team, is from the rural Monona area. She is a graduate of MFL/Mar Mac High School and attended Allen College in Waterloo for her Bachelors of Science Nursing degree. She then attended the Chamberlain College of Nursing in Chicago, IL, where she received her Masters degree as a family nurse practitioner.

Halie began her nursing career at Unity Point Health in Bettendorf where she worked as an ICU and Home Health RN.  She later transferred to the University of Iowa where she worked as an RN in the trauma unit. Her next position was with Gundersen Health where she worked as an RN in the emergceny room (ER) and later as a nurse practitioner.

“I love primary care for the interactive experience of meeting patients at their level of health,” states Halie. “It is a fun variety of pediatrics to geriatrics. I wanted to be able to care for those in the communities I live in and around, so they can continue to enjoy their day to day lives. I was drawn to Waukon for the small-town connection and compassion I have for the area. I am excited to see what new opportunities this clinic can offer the area.”

Halie enjoys educating her patients on preventative medicine and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, Jon Hawes, P.A., current Emergency Provider at the hospital, will also be seeing patients in the clinic on a part-time basis beginning in July. Jon has been providing emergency medical care in the hospital’s emergency room (ER) department for the last five years and has over 30 years of experience in the medical clinic as well as ER setting, most of that time at Palmer Lutheran Health Center in West Union. He will be providing care in the new clinic two days per week.

Three medical assistants have been recruited as well to work with these providers. Laboratory and X-ray services will be provided by the existing hospital departments.

“With the opening of our new medical clinic combined with the dedicated staff at the Gundersen Waukon Clinic, this area will finally have the access to local family health care it needs,” states Michael Coyle, CEO of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “There is just such a great demand for local primary care, we are happy this clinic will be helping to offer our community the accessible care they deserve.”

Those wishing to make an appointment are invited to call the new clinic number of 563-568-5530 to schedule an appointment for May or beyond.