MUSCATINE, Iowa — On Thursday, the Mulberry Health Clinic opened in Muscatine. Officials said it's aiming to improve healthcare access for rural residents.
The $20 million, three-floor facility is set to provide essential services like pediatrics, surgery and OB-GYN care — helping to fill the growing healthcare gap in rural Iowa.
Over the past 15 years, Iowa has seen 250 more healthcare facilities close than open, with most closures in rural areas. Nationally, rural hospitals have been closing at an alarming rate, as Dr. Mark Holmes, professor of health policy and management at the University of North Carolina, highlighted.
“We’ve seen 149 rural hospitals close across the country since 2010 — that’s about 10 per year,” Holmes said. “That’s 10 communities that no longer have a hospital, which has a devastating effect on these local areas.”
A report by the non-partisan Common Sense Institute Iowa revealed that more than a third of Iowa hospitals operated at a loss in 2022, further underscoring the crisis.
Charla Schafer, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, which owns the clinic, called the project a "legacy" for the community.
“We'll be able to provide local access or a shorter drive for many folks currently traveling farther for care,” Schafer said.
The new Mulberry Health Clinic is connected to UnityPoint Health - Trinity Muscatine Hospital, further enhancing the range of services available to local residents. With the addition of this facility, according to Schafer, patients in rural areas will no longer have to travel long distances to receive essential medical care. Officials hope the clinic will help bridge the gap for underserved communities in the region.
For more information on the new clinic, visit here.