A new medical clinic is being constructed at the Story County Medical Center in Nevada to help consolidate services to its main campus.

The $24 million project will receive approximately $22.3 million in USDA Rural Development loan funding, according to a release from that agency.

The new construction will include a primary care clinic, physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation facilities, and education and business offices. 

The project, which will be completed in 2017, is one of four rural hospital projects across the state that recently received a total of $88.2 million in funding.

Other recently funded projects include:

• Buchanan County Health Center, Independence: New primary and specialty clinics, as well as new surgical procedure rooms, will be completed as part of an extensive expansion and renovation. The total cost for the project is expected to be around $26 million; it should be completed in 2017. The project is receiving $18 million in USDA Rural Development loan funding.
• Marengo Memorial Hospital, Marengo: A 20,000-square-foot addition and complete renovation are being planned to provide patients with better access to specialized care and outpatient services, as well as access to state-of-the-art medical equipment. The total cost for the project is expected to be around $28 million; it should be completed in 2017. The project is receiving $22.6 million in USDA Rural Development loan funding.
• Shenandoah Medical Center, Shenandoah: A renovation is planned and a two-story addition is being constructed for a new medical clinic. The existing clinic space will be modernized into a new surgical area. Other improvements will include a single entry point and registration/waiting area, an expanded emergency department, relocation of the respiratory therapy area, and lab improvements. The total cost for the project is expected to be around $27 million; it should be completed in 2017. The project is receiving $25.3 million in USDA Rural Development loan funding.

In the last six years, USDA Rural Development has supported more than 50 rural hospitals, medical clinics, nursing homes and/or assisting living facilities with more than $370 million in direct loans, guaranteed loans and grants to make needed facility and equipment improvements, the agency said in a release.

“Along with providing important services to rural Iowans, rural hospitals can be an extremely vital part of the local economic engine,” USDA Rural Development state director Bill Menner said. “Many times these important health care facilities are that community’s largest employer. The economic impact hospitals have on our rural communities and their surrounding areas is very significant.”