UnityPoint Clinic Transitions to Greene County Family Medicine Clinic in 2019

Greene County Medical Center leadership, board of trustees and UnityPoint Clinic leadership have agreed to transition UnityPoint Clinic to Greene County Family Medicine Clinic, under medical center ownership and leadership, effective April 1, 2019.  

The public will see little change at the newly named clinic, with all current providers – Dr. Thomas Fagg and ARNPs Sara Fleecs, Jen Pudenz and Diana Smith – having signed contracts with the new clinic.  CEO Carl Behne noted, “As we maintain the current slate of providers, the public can rest assured that care at the clinic will not be compromised.”  He continued, “We have an excellent working relationship with the providers of UnityPoint Clinic who see this as a positive move for them and their patients.”  

The medical center, an affiliate of UnityPoint Health, entered into a partnership with UnityPoint Clinic in 2014.  The strength of name recognition of a highly reputable organization helped the medical center bring patient-centered, physician-driven care to the community.  The relationship has been successful, and has been a good fit for patients, the medical center and the clinic.   

In 2017, Governor Kim Reynolds designated Greene County as being eligible for rural health clinic status, making the rural health clinic a possibility for the medical center.   

With the ever-changing healthcare climate, both leadership teams have determined that bringing the clinic under the medical center umbrella as a rural health clinic is the next step in doing what is necessary to positively impact our patients, the medical center and our community.  The name change and leadership transfer will occur on April 1, 2019, with final rural health certification anticipated around July 1, 2019.  This changeover in no way changes or impacts the 30 plus year relationship the medical center has as an affiliate of UnityPoint Health.  

This announcement comes on the heels of the medical center hiring full-time general surgeon, Dr. Josh Smith, and new pediatrician, Dr. Holly Van de Voort.  These two providers will join the medical center beginning March 1 and April 1, 2019, respectively.