Madelia Health Successfully Opened Its St. James Location With the Help of a REED Fund Loan

Madelia Health, a 2024 Star Tribune top workplace award winner, is an essential medical service provider in South Central Minnesota with four locations that support residents in Watonwan County and beyond. Its newest location in St. James opened last year with support from a $500,000 REED Fund loan.  

“The facility is fantastic,” says David Walz, Chief Executive Officer at Madelia Health. “Our caregivers love the space and our patients seem to as well.”

Healthcare access is often a concern for rural communities. Residents from newborn babies to seniors aging in place all need medical support and care. This makes the presence of Madelia Health valuable to the communities it serves. Learn how the REED Fund helped Madelia Health bring localized healthcare to St. James. 

The Facility Increases Healthcare Access for 5,000 Residents

The St. James location is only 13 miles (about a 20-minute drive) from the main Madelia clinic and hospital, but proximity matters regarding healthcare. Parents don’t want to drive far when their kids get sick and adults rarely have time for long drives to seek health services. Opening a clinic directly in the St. James community, which has a population of 4,800, makes getting help faster and easier for residents.

“Our goal is to bring the care closer to where people live,” says Walz. “This aligns directly with our mission to provide patient-centered health care with excellence in quality, service, and access.”  

Local facilities enable residents to make medical treatment and healthcare appointments one part of their day, not the only part. Instead of driving to Minneapolis, Mankato, or even Madelia, St. James residents can pop into their appointments on 1st Ave. S. after stopping at the hardware store and before visiting the bakery for a treat. Healthcare access becomes easier, so more people are likely to seek the treatment they need. Madelia Health is attempting to move the needle on providing health care rather than sick care. That is why wellness visits are so important.

“Local healthcare options are important to a small community like St. James,” says Jim Haler, Member Services Manager of the South Central Electric Association. “St. James is a great place to live and the expansion of Madelia Health to our community helps strengthen it.” 

Madelia Health Converted a Bank Building Into a Clinic

Madelia Health developed the St. James clinic using funds from its operating budget and the REED Fund. Fortunately, it wasn’t starting from scratch: Madelia Health bought a closed bank building and gutted it to create its new clinic.

“We completely changed the inside,” says Walz. “The one thing we kept was the old vault, which is now the employee break room. It’s also a safe space for staff and patients in the event of a tornado.”

The other bank feature that Madelia Health kept was the pneumatic tube system that was part of the drive-thru. Patients can use this for picking up their prescriptions, just like the bank customers from the past.  

“Vacant buildings in a small community can sit empty for a long time,” says Haler. “Using the old bank to increase healthcare options in St. James is a win for the community.”

Madelia Health Brings Excellence in Care to Rural Communities 

Residents of St. James and surrounding areas can visit with Dr. Luis A. Martinez or Lacey Groebner, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, when they stop by the new clinic. If these medical professionals refer them to a specialist, they can easily drive to the main Madelia Health hospital. This organization continues to expand its capabilities in the region, helping people get the healthcare services they need without leaving the county.

A few services patients can receive at Madelia Health include:

• 24/7 Emergency room care
• Same-day appointments   
• Family Medicine
• Growing specialty care, from orthopedics to pain management to podiatry
• General surgery
• Behavioral health services 
• Retail Pharmacy located in Lake Crystal
• Swing bed/Rehab/transitional care
• Physical Therapy & Wellness

Madelia Health also provides ambulance services for the City of Madelia and beyond, so you can find its EMTs traveling across the area on most days. 

“Being a critical access hospital, we need to expand our footprint so we can access more patient lives, to support our Providers,” says Walz. “We have family taking care of family and neighbors taking care of neighbors. Our practitioners and nurses live in these communities and care about the people they treat.”

Look for Further Madelia Expansion in the Future 

Madelia Health currently has four locations, serving Madelia, Lake Crystal, Truman, and St. James. While there are no current plans for expansion, this organization may decide to open new facilities in the future to better support the residents of Southwest Minnesota.

“We’re here to serve our communities,” says Walz. “When you need something, we’re here to listen and learn, and serve and heal.”

Madelia Health is just one healthcare organization that the REED Fund has supported this year. Read about other hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers the REED Fund has helped in Minnesota and South Dakota. Each loan helps residents in this region live healthier, more comfortable lives.