Hillsdale Hospital announces merger of Litchfield and Reading health clinics
HILLSDALE — A merger between two local health clinics is expected to be completed by the end of the month with one of the clinics ceasing operations.
Litchfield Health Clinic at 535 Marshall St. and Reading Health Clinic at 143 S. Main St. will merge together effective July 31, according to a news release from Hillsdale Hospital.
Because of the merger, nurse practitioner Rachel Stump and team members from the Litchfield clinic will relocate to Reading, the release said. The Litchfield clinic’s last day of operations will be July 28.
The combined new location will allow patients to continue to receive care from Stump but now with more resources and “in a more functional space,” according to the hospital’s release.
While Litchfield Health Clinic only has two exam rooms and seating for four people in the waiting room, Reading Health Clinic has three times the exam rooms and waiting space for patients and their loved ones who spend time in the clinic.
“As we considered the best way to serve our community with primary care, we recognized that Litchfield Health Clinic could not be sustainable based on the reality that the clinic had reached maximum capacity,” Rachel Lott, chief communications officer for Hillsdale Hospital, said in the release. “Keeping the Litchfield clinic operational as a separate stand-alone location is no longer an appropriate use of the limited resources we have for taking care of patients.”
Hillsdale Hospital said it opted to combine the two clinics into the Reading location as a best-case scenario. Litchfield patients have been mailed letters and sent electronic communication regarding the change.
“Clinic team members are working with patients individually to secure transport to and from Reading for appointments so they can continue to see Stump if transportation is a barrier,” the hospital said.
Litchfield and Reading are two of 10 medical locations under the umbrella of Hillsdale Hospital, including the main hospital at 168 S. Howell St., Hillsdale.
Other options for patients include choosing a new provider at Hillsdale Health & Wellness, 240 W. Carleton Road, Hillsdale, or opting for virtual visits when appropriate. In the future, the hospital said, it hopes to have a regular presence in Litchfield with a mobile clinic starting in the first quarter of 2024 at the earliest.
“We are exploring setting up a mobile clinic that would be an extension of our primary care services,” Lott said. “This would enable us to maximize our resources by going out into outlying parts of the county to meet patients where they are — not just in Litchfield, but in other areas currently lacking primary care entirely.”
The Litchfield team is expected to be fully transitioned to Reading starting July 31. Patients who have questions about the transition can call Litchfield Health Clinic at 517-330-3000 up through July 28. After that date, patients must call Reading Health Clinic at 517-283-1772.
The Reading Health Clinic offers general and preventive medicine, including management of hypertension, diabetes and other chronic diseases; immunizations; allergy injections; and health physicals for sports and school. Basic laboratory services are available on-site, and same-day appointments can be scheduled.
Dr. Kurt Roecker is the main provider at the Reading clinic, according to www.hillsdalehospital.com.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Hospital announces merger of Litchfield and Reading clinics
