T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — From left to right, McFarland Marketing and Public Relations Director Shelley Goecke, Jenni Talbott, Kris Terrell, Brenda Severson, Dr. Colette Lothe, Executive Director Deb Wollam, Dr. Wendy Thiessen, Dr. Maria Olberding, Dr. Laura Lasack, Kayla Danielson and Dr. Joseph Pollpeter pose for a photo inside of the new clinic at 421 E. Merle Hibbs Blvd. on Tuesday. McFarland’s move to the new location was finalized as of Thursday.

Thursday marked a major milestone for McFarland Clinic’s Marshalltown operation as the move from the old downtown hospital to a brand new clinic at 421 E. Merle Hibbs Blvd. — just east of Walmart — was officially completed.

Back in 2019, the leadership team began to explore the possibility of a new facility, and four years and over $20 million later, the dream has been realized. On Monday morning at 7:15, the first family medicine patient was seen at the new location, and McFarland’s other departments gradually moved to the new three-story clinic, which could easily be mistaken for a hospital, throughout the rest of the week.

On Monday, oncology, optical and physical therapy moved over. On Tuesday, pediatrics and OB services followed suit, and support services, orthopedics, podiatry and surgery came to the new building Wednesday. Other departments, like radiology, lab and business services, have moved “in shifts,” according to Executive Director Deb Wollam.

In addition to more traditional medical services, McFarland has an optometry clinic and a NuCara pharmacy located just inside the west entrance, and the entire facility has wowed those who have entered it thus far.

“It’s been really good this week. Patients just think it’s beautiful, and I think it’s welcoming and pretty easy to navigate,” Wollam said. “We’re all very excited to be here, so it’s been a good couple of days.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — McFarland Physical Therapy intern Kennedy Wheater, front, and Physical Therapist Paul Brott, back, work through exercises inside of their new facility at 421 E. Merle Hibbs Blvd. on Tuesday.

McFarland Marketing and Public Relations Director Shelley Goecke commended Wollam and the leadership team for all of their efforts to bring the new clinic to Marshalltown, and she highlighted the various forms of community engagement involved in the process, including the 26 central Iowa nature photos — selected from over 700 submissions — adorned across the walls.

“I think that’s what’s neat about it. The facility — the design and layout and all the amenities of it — have really been for the people, by the people,” Goecke said. “The staff and the physicians, the employees have been very involved in the design and layout, and then to have that added piece of working with the community. That’s what’s really great about this is everybody’s input to make it the very best.”

Although the square footage is actually slightly less than what McFarland utilized at the old hospital location, Wollam stressed the efficiency and beauty of the space, with a view of the Iowa countryside to the east and south and a new VA clinic coming soon to the west. And with two entrances including one on the lower level or “garden floor,” patients should have to do less walking than they did in the past to get where they need to go.

“I think one of the things that just feels really good to our patients and to us, those of us that work every day, is how open it is and how well lit it is. It’s just kind of refreshing to be here,” Wollam said. “There’s actually more clinical space, so there’s much more efficient and better use of the space here.”

Leadership considered 11 different properties in Marshalltown as they explored options for a new clinic, and Wollam said both McFarland and city officials shared a mutual interest in developing the area on East Merle Hibbs. With a state-of-the-art facility as the centerpiece, there is optimism of further growth in the future starting with the nearby VA clinic, where ground was recently broken — to quote the old adage from “Field of Dreams,” if you build it, they will come.

In all, McFarland has 13 family medicine providers in Marshalltown, a pediatrics department, two general surgeons and an orthopedic surgeon, a podiatrist, optometry, physical therapy, full imaging services, CT/MRI, oncology, OB midwives and other specialists who come on more of a rotating basis depending on availability and demand, including allergy, cardiology, ear nose throat (ENT), nephrology, neurology, pain medicine, a hand surgeon and the NuCara Pharmacy.

Members of the public who don’t already have an appointment scheduled at the new clinic will have a chance to check it out for themselves during an open house scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.