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Breaking new ground

Construction set to begin on Iowa Specialty Hospital’s Webster City clinic

Members of the Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics administration, providers and board members turn the first shovelful of soil at the site of the new Webster City clinic building Wednesday afternoon. The construction site is located on South Superior Street.

Ground was broken at the site of the new Iowa Specialty Hospital Webster City Clinic Wednesday afternoon, marking the start of the building construction project on South Superior Street.

Members of the Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics administration, board of trustees and several providers were on hand to turn the first few shovelfuls of soil at the construction site. Joel Peterson of Peterson Construction, walked the group out onto the site where workers have been preparing the ground for the project. The groundbreaking took place near where the front door of the clinic will be located.

The new clinic building will be a 13,400-square-foot structure with about 20 exam rooms and a large parking lot for patients.

Currently, the Iowa Specialty Hospital – Webster City Clinic is located at 903 Willson Ave. In November 2019, ISH purchased Advanced Family Medicine, the private medical practice operated by Dr. Donald Woodhouse.

“We’re so excited about this project,” said Steve Simonin, CEO of Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics. “We’re busting at the seams now at our current clinic — we’re so busy. We can’t wait to open up,” he said. “It’s very, very needed.”

Joel Peterson of Peterson Construction talks with Dr. John Swisher, a provider at the Webster City clinic, following the groundbreaking ceremony held Wednesday. The new clinic building will be a 13,400-square-foot structure with about 20 exam rooms.

The existing clinic features six exam rooms which are shared by three family practice providers — Dr. John Swisher, Kristen Davison, PA- C, and Kari Patten, PA-C. Tricia Bartlett, PA-C, MPAS, also provides dermatology services at the clinic.

Swisher said he and the other providers are looking forward to the time when they can move into the new building.

“We feel so lucky. We’re looking forward to getting into a bigger space and having more opportunities for our patients, and providing the excellent care that Iowa Specialty is known for,” he said.

In announcing the project in December 2020, Simonin told the Daily Freeman-Journal that several spots had been scouted in the community as possible locations for the new facility, but the Superior Street location offered easy access on a main thoroughfare and backed up on the Boone River Recreational Trail.

“This is just a gorgeous area, overlooking the river and also Superior Street is so well traveled and is right off of Highway 20,” he said. “After we found that property, we stopped looking.”

“We’re super excited to be expanding in the Webster City community. We’ve had a presence here in the community for a couple years and now we look forward to adding some additional services and specialties,” said Amy McDaniel, Chief Executive Officer of Iowa Specialty Hospital, Belmond Campus. McDaniel oversees the clinic operations.

Simonin said he expected the construction project would be finished in the spring of 2022.

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