“This is a very long time coming,” said Hamilton County Board of Supervisor Doug Bailey of the effort to bring a variety of county health services under one roof.

Originally founded as the Webster City Medical Clinic by Dr. Subhash Sahai, Dr. Sushma Sahai, and Dr. Anil Sahai in 1983, it was dedicated to the “service of mankind.”   In 2017, the Webster City Medical Clinic merged with Van Diest Medical Center and the building sat vacant.

The VDMC gifted the building to Hamilton County in 2018 and the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors have been working to bring a variety of health and public services together in one location.

“Today we are celebrating the first phase of the project,” said Bailey.  The building, named Shashi Station, houses Hamilton County Public Health, Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc., Head Start, Hamilton County Emergency Management, Hamilton County Workforce Development, the WIC Clinic and the Webster City Free Clinic.  “There are a wide variety of services – a one stop shop all in one location”.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Teresa Wood Originally dedicated to the service of mankind in 1983 by Dr. Subhash Sahai, Dr. Sushma Sahai and Dr. Anil Sahai, the Webster City Medica lClinic merged with Van Diest Medical Center in 2017.  In October 2018, the hospital gifted the building to Hamilton County.  The Hamilton County Board of Supervisors helped to establish the Hamilton County Public Health Department in the building which is now called Shashi Station and houses the county's health department, Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc., Webster City Free Clinic and Head Start.  Plans are to develop a drop-in mental health service.  Honored guests at Friday's ribbon cutting included Van Diest Medical Center personnel and, Dr. Subhash Sahai, his sister Shashi Sahai Agarwal, her husband, Dr. Anil Agarwal and Dr. Sushma Sahai.  Dr. Anil Sahai passed away in 2012. 

The second phase planned for the 27,000 square-foot. building will include a drop-in mental health center tentatively set to open later this year or in early 2020, said Bailey.

Friday’s event also included the dedication of a plaque which honored the building’s original founders.  Now named Shashi Station “where service to mankind continues,” the building was dedicated on Nov. 8, 2019 by Hamilton County Board of Supervisors Doug Bailey, Dan Campidilli and Rick Young. 

“I think this design will create a greater awareness of what is available,” said Bailey.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Teresa Wood A new sign marks the Shashi Station, the former Webster City Medical Clinic which now houses Hamilton County Public Health, the Webster City Free Clinic, Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc., and HeadStart. A ribbon cutting was held at the facility Friday.