Veterans Memorial Hospital purchases dental clinic building in Monona, plans to open family medical clinic
The Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees at its March 28 monthly meeting approved the purchase of the Family Dental Associates of Monona dental clinic building (pictured above) located at the intersection of Franklin Street and South Main Street in Monona for the purpose of establishing a family medical clinic through Veterans Memorial Hospital. Family Dental Associates of Monona has moved to a new building on Tower Street in Monona this spring and the hospital is putting plans in place, including negotiating with health care providers, to have the clinic opened in August of this year and staffed five days a week. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
Move hopes to address provider shortage; August is goal date
Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has announced that at its Tuesday, March 28 meeting the hospital's Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the former dental clinic building in Monona with intent to begin the process of contracting providers to establish a family medical clinic in Monona. Family Dentistry Associates of Monona, formerly located at 101 Franklin Street at its intersection with South Main Street in Monona, has completed its move to its new office location on Tower Street in Monona and opened for business there April 3, providing the opportunity for Veterans Memorial Hospital.
“We have two very strong partners in both the Mayo Waukon Clinic and the Gundersen Waukon Clinic who have supported Veterans Memorial Hospital for many years. However, recent events, with Dr. Andrea Venteicher resigning from Gundersen and Dr. Benjamin Ross leaving Mayo in September, will leave this area short on medical providers,” states Mike Myers, Administrator of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “Given the increasing difficulty to find providers willing to work in rural medicine and the current difficulty of people getting into the local clinics to be seen, the Board of Trustees and myself quickly realized that it was imperative that we step up to assist in this health care access issue.”
Myers reported the hospital is currently in discussions with one provider and will continue to look for at least one more provider to join this new clinic to ensure the proposed Monona facility will be able to be staffed five days a week.
“Our patient following from Monona and the surrounding area continues to grow,” adds Myers. “Many families from that area deliver their babies here. We are excited to bring even more accessible health care to this population that has always been a very important part of our service area.”
The hospital will also soon be moving forward with the remodeling of its Emergency Room and Operating Room areas in Waukon due to continued growth as well.
“Our goal is to have the Monona clinic facility opened to the public by August," Myers said. "This is a very exciting time with very positive changes. Until then, we will keep the public informed of our progress as events unfold.”
