O’Brien County MercyOne medical centers consolidate

PRIMGHAR, Iowa (KCAU) — Primghar community leaders and residents alike were shocked when they learned they would be losing a medical clinic .

“It’s kind of sad to see that go,” Jaynee Rushton with the City of Primghar said. “I mean, we are a small town, but it’s really nice having a hospital in town.”

Rebecca Webster fills in at MercyOne Sutherland Family Medicine as a Patient Services Representative from time to time.

“We were literally just in a Snapchat and he had gotten an email about it and messaged me and another person that still works there and she had said that we just found out,” Webster said.

While Webster is one of many employees chosen to work at Primghar Family Medicine, others will soon have to look for a different job.

“I do wish that maybe others were more considered better, because like I said, I’ve only been there three years,” Webster said. “There’s people that have been there for over 40 that weren’t even considered. And so that that hurts my heart a little bit.”

“Losing families and workers who are staff there, you never know if they’re going to leave and find different jobs,” Rushton said. “They obviously have to have a job somewhere, so that’s a little scary. We don’t want those people leaving our community as well as a big business leaving our community.”

With the medical centers in Paullina and Sutherland closing down, some residents will now have to travel many miles for health care.

“At least 20, 25, 30, depending on where they want to go,” Webster said. “Cherokee, Orange City, Spencer. I mean, there won’t be anything other than from Primghar that’s local, unfortunately. And for the older generations that can only drive a block, it’s going to be really hard for them to try to keep up with their health care.”

The consolidation is expected to happen by the end of September.

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