As 2026 begins, Van Diest Medical Center (VDMC) is taking time to share an annual overview of the services it provides, the resources that sustain those services, and the stewardship that ensures care remains strong and accessible for the communities. From emergency care and specialty services to preventive, rehabilitative, and behavioral health support, VDMC continues to serve as a cornerstone of rural healthcare for Hamilton County and surrounding areas.

At its core, Van Diest Medical Center is about people – caregivers supporting patients when they need it most. It is the reassurance of care close to home, the comfort of familiar faces, and the confidence that quality healthcare is available when needed that matters. With continued community support and strong stewardship, VDMC remains committed to caring for Hamilton County and surrounding areas.

Community support plays an essential role through the hospital tax levy and philanthropic giving to the VDMC Foundation. The Foundation helps fund vital equipment, supports new service development, and addresses hospital-identified priorities. In addition, the VDMC Auxiliary provides funding for items that departmental budgets may not otherwise allow, including communication boards in patient rooms, physical therapy equipment, wound care mattresses, and other patient care and education resources. These efforts are supported through fundraisers, gift shop proceeds, membership dues, and donations.

“Many hospitals rely on community generosity and foundation support to help enhance the care they provide. While we have been blessed with larger gifts for major projects – such as the hospital building, the family health clinic and the infusion center – the foundation overall has not historically received the same level of ongoing philanthropic donations that many other hospitals do,” said Ashley Allers, chief financial officer.

“Even so, every contribution we receive truly makes a difference. We’re continuing to build our foundation for the future, and we’re grateful for the community support that helps us keep moving forward,” she said.

Comprehensive Care

VDMC offers a wide range of hospital-based services, including inpatient and skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, respiratory and sleep diagnostics, and comprehensive radiology and laboratory services. Visiting specialists allow patients to receive high-quality specialty care without leaving the region.

“In partnership with MercyOne Iowa Heart Center, a statewide leader in cardiology services, our hospital now offers a full-time cardiology clinic with a full range of cardiac services provided by the rotating team of cardiologists and advanced level practitioners,” Chief Executive Officer Lisa Ridge said.

Surgical care is provided by a team of three visiting general surgeons who are onsite weekly, along with a visiting oncologist/hematologist. The infusion center delivers chemotherapy, IV and antibody therapy, blood transfusions, and injections. Pediatric dental surgery is also performed at VDMC–an important and unique service for a rural hospital that helps families avoid long-distance travel for care.

Specialty access has expanded further with the addition of a full-time general orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Sreedhar Somisetty. With 25 years of experience, Somisetty focuses on providing consistent, high-quality orthopedic care close to home while working collaboratively with referring providers and team members. He holds weekly clinics and performs a wide range of procedures at VDMC, including joint replacements, arthroscopic and reconstructive surgeries, fracture care, and sports injury treatment.

VDMC also offers Senior Life Solutions, an intensive outpatient group counseling program designed to meet the needs of adults age 65 and older experiencing depression and anxiety related to aging. Within its clinic network, VDMC provides family practice and pediatrics, women’s health with shared obstetrical services, gerontology, podiatry, behavioral health, and diabetic education–ensuring continuity of care across the lifespan.

Clinics That Strengthen Local Care

VDMC’s four clinics–located in Webster City, Jewell, Stratford, and Fort Dodge–play an important role in supporting the hospital’s financial sustainability, with revenue flowing back to support services provided locally.

The Stratford clinic offers care from two local providers, including Lee Carlson, ARNP, a Stratford native, and Julie Trout, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; once again, this demonstrates neighbors helping neighbors.

The Fort Dodge clinic moved to its new location on Second Avenue North late last summer and continues to serve a large and growing patient base. Dr. Adam Swisher and Joe Harris, P.A., have joined Dr. John Birkett, Dr. Alan Nguyen and Tricia Widlund, ARNP, in practice. The new clinical space also allows for the addition of radiology services.

“The Fort Dodge clinic is a very busy, very robust clinic and the revenue generated there comes back to Hamilton County by way of additional services. For example, if a patient needs physical therapy, outpatient testing or needs to see a specialist, they are offered at our facility in Webster City, here in Hamilton County,” said Lisa Ridge, CEO. “You would also be surprised at the number of patients who choose to drive to Webster City to be seen in the Emergency Department or prefer to be admitted to our hospital because of the excellent care we provide.”

Investing Wisely in the Future

Since opening in September 2010, the hospital facility has required increasing infrastructure investment as it ages. A staged roof replacement project is expected in the coming years, with total costs projected to exceed $2.2 million. VDMC also recently completed a $1.2 million MRI replacement. In the current year alone, the hospital has invested $75,000 in steam generators and $55,000 in a dishwasher for the food service department.

Over the past five years, VDMC has replaced two of its three ambulances. The Emergency Medical Services team provides Advanced Life Support to Webster City and surrounding communities and staffs a Paramedic Level Emergency Department. Energy-efficiency improvements at the hospital, including converting all facility lighting to LED, have reduced electrical consumption, though rising utility rates have offset cost savings.

Looking ahead, VDMC will need to replace its CT scanner to maintain Level IV trauma designation and ensure rapid stroke detection, at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. Mammography equipment replacement is projected at $650,000, and operating room lighting upgrades are expected to cost nearly $400,000.

Stewardship, Advocacy, and Community Support

As a Critical Access Hospital, VDMC relies on a combination of funding sources to remain viable. A primary source of funding is cost-based Medicare reimbursement, which helps offset lower patient volumes typical of rural hospitals. VDMC receives 101 percent of allowable costs, minus the 2 percent federal sequestration, resulting in a net reimbursement of 99 percent. Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients account for 54.4 percent of the hospital’s total patient volume.

Medicaid reimbursement is also critical in rural communities like Hamilton County, where a higher percentage of residents rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Currently, Medicaid patients make up 12.4 percent of VDMC’s volume. Recently approved Medicaid cuts pose a significant threat to rural hospitals and are expected to increase the number of uninsured patients.

Strong financial stewardship underpins every investment. VDMC’s administration and Board of Trustees provide careful oversight to ensure responsible budgeting, long-term planning, and transparent use of public and philanthropic resources–balancing rising costs and reimbursement challenges while keeping patient care and community benefit at the center of decision-making.

“Over the past several years, Van Diest Medical Center has been very intentional and fiscally responsible in how we approach purchases, long-term forecasting, and capital planning,” said Ridge. “We’ve made careful decisions with an eye toward upcoming legislative changes that will have a significant impact on rural hospitals like ours. Historically, financial stability needed for long-term sustainability was not always present. Today, our focus is on strengthening infrastructure, advancing master facility planning, and responsibly managing rising costs so we can continue to serve our communities well into the future.”

Local tax levies for county Critical Access Hospitals help offset reductions in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, rising liability and malpractice insurance costs, and expenses related to ambulance services and emergency preparedness. Without this support, rural hospitals face the same risk of closure that has already affected more than 150 hospitals nationwide since 2010.

“Our tax levy helps bridge these gaps. It offsets the costs of services that our community depends on but cannot sustain financially themselves, and it supports mandated benefit and insurance programs that keep our workforce protected and our hospital compliant,” Allers said.

“Supporting a hospital levy is not just supporting a building – it’s investing in emergency care, health access, community safety, local employment and long-term economic resilience,” she said. “A healthy hospital means a healthy community.”

“Healthcare is complex and always changing, and we understand that it can be confusing. As a board, we take our responsibility to the county seriously and work closely with hospital leadership to make thoughtful, data-driven decisions with a long-term view. Transparency matters to us, and we encourage open conversations,” said Darcy Swon, board president.

“Our hospital administration is always willing to walk through questions about hospital operations, our clinics, or finances so people have a clear understanding of how the hospital serves the entire county.”