Wellman

After months of preparation, Compass Memorial Healthcare is officially coming to Wellman.

According to Compass Memorial Healthcare Director of Ambulatory Clinics and Epic Administrator Jillissa Chvala, the goal of the new location is to expand access to health care for rural communities.

“This community has shown a strong need for local health care, especially since the previous clinic left town and its absence has been felt,” Chvala said. “Having clinics in rural communities increases access to primary and sometimes urgent care, while also supporting the local economy by bringing jobs and people into town. Our goal is to be accessible and provide primary care to residents of Wellman and the surrounding area.”

Compass Memorial will be located in the former Wellman Family Clinic building. 

While an insurance business currently occupies the front portion of the building, the back space had been vacant for a short period of time following the previous clinic’s departure. 

Chvala, who has been with Compass Memorial for 10 years, shared more about her background and role with the organization. She serves as the company’s informaticist, overseeing training, troubleshooting and ticket submissions, while also managing operations for all rural health clinics and the hospital’s outreach specialty services.

Nurse practitioner Madelynn Dickinson will serve as the provider at the Family Medical Clinic of Wellman. Her responsibilities include working in both urgent and primary care settings. 

As an advanced practice provider in Iowa, Dickinson is able to perform diagnosing and treating patients, managing medications and ordering labs.

Before joining Compass Memorial Healthcare, Dickinson worked as a nurse at QuickVisit Urgent Care in Washington where she provided urgent care and primary care for the past three years. Prior to being a provider at QuickVisit Urgent Care she was a nurse at Mercy Medical Center providing specialized care in the NICU, postpartum, and pediatric units.

“I worked as a nurse at Mercy in the Women and Children’s Center, where I spent much of my nursing career,” she said. “After about four years there, I completed graduate school and became a practitioner.”

During her time with Compass Memorial Healthcare, Chvala said she has seen significant growth within the organization.

“We’ve seen consistent growth every fiscal year across all of our service lines while staying true to our mission, vision and values. That growth has allowed us to expand significantly, including increasing from four or five family practice providers to 10 and more than doubling our nursing staff.”

While there is no official opening date yet, The Family Medical Clinic of Wellman is targeting early April. “We’re targeting early April,” Chvala said. “There are a few things that still need to be in place, including completing the Epic build so we can schedule patients and handle documentation, but April is definitely the goal.”

Chvala also explained that Compass Memorial Healthcare accepts most insurance plans. “We try to contract with as many insurers as possible.”

Patients with insurance-related questions are encouraged to contact Compass Memorial Healthcare directly.     

Compass Memorial Healthcare is currently hiring and plans to staff three employees at the Wellman clinic. 

“The clinic will have three staff members, including Maddie as the provider, along with a nurse and a registration staff member,” Chvala said. “The nursing position is currently open, while the registration staff member has already started and is training at another clinic. She will transfer to the Wellman location closer to the opening date.”

The clinic will also be equipped to handle emergency situations until additional help arrives. “All of our clinics and providers are trained to handle life-saving care and stabilization, with staff certified in BLS, ACLS, and PALS,” Chvala said. “In an emergency, we use on-site medications and equipment similar to what ambulances carry and provide care until EMS arrives or the patient is stable enough to go to another facility.”

Compass Memorial Healthcare plans to be open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch closure from noon to 1 p.m.