The doctor is in: Remsen welcomes new clinic

(Photo by Diane Stangl) Cutting the ribbon at the new Remsen Medical Clinic is from left: Mike Nelson, P.A. Cheryl Cronin, Dr. Thomas Duncan, Mike Donlin, and Karen Portz. [Click to enlarge]

The new Remsen Medical Clinic, located west of the Remsen Post Office received an official welcome with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Friday, Jan. 16.

Members of the Remsen community, FVH board of trustees, Ply. Co. Board of Supervisors, a representative from Senator Grassley's office, and members of the North West Rural Electric Cooperative (NW REC) joined Remsen city officials who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony held in the lobby of the Remsen clinic.

Floyd Valley Hospital owns the clinic, which is approximately 1,600 square feet and is leased to Medical Associates.

Drs. Thomas Duncan, Steve Meis, Paul Parmelee and P.A. Cheryl Cronin and their staffs will be manning the facility which officially opened its doors for business on December 18, 2008.

The new clinic is nearly double in size of the former Remsen Clinic, which is replaces. The new facility offers patients enhanced medical services with the addition of radiology services for the first time as well as handicapped accessibility.

Mike Donlin, Floyd Valley Hospital administrator, began plans for the facility in Remsen about four years ago with the help of FVH's Daryl Friedenbach and contractor Frank Audino who came up with a design that would cost $849,000.

NW REC provided a $300,000, six-year, zero-percent interest rate loan with the remaining costs for the project coming from FVH reserves.

The Remsen community and supporters from the area also contributed money to help complete the project. The City of Remsen and Remsen Utilities each donated $50,000 and Plymouth County offered $25,000 in Local Option Sales Tax revenue. About $95,000 came through a federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to buy the new radiology equipment.

Mayor Pro-Tem, Dick Sievers congratulated FVH and Medical Associates on their beautiful new facility.

"The new Remsen facility is a wonderful addition to the community with its enhanced medical services for the community and is a good sign that Medical Associates and FVH have made a long-term commitment to the community," he said.

Remsen Chamber president, Karen Harnack commented, "As a representative of the Chamber it's nice to see such a beautiful new addition to our downtown."

Jim Henrich, of the Ply. Co. Board of Supervisors congratulated the City of Remsen, FVH and Medical Associates on their accomplishment and emphasized how important a facility like this is to a small community and the effect it has on other businesses in the community.