Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

St. Joseph's Buys Rural Health Clinic

One of 1995's most important stories in Gurdon was the changing hands of the Gurdon Rural Health Clinic.

In a June 1 announcement, Kristin Bennett, assistant vice president of administration at St. Joseph's Regional Health Center in Hot Springs, told Gurdon's City Council of the hospital's purchase of the clinic.

Additionally, she informed the council, and about a dozen citizens on hand, St. Joseph's would actively be seeking a full-time doctor to live and practice in Gurdon. Bennett said it normally takes about a year to find a doctor.

Aside from the name being changed to Mercy Medical Clinic, no major changess were made. Bennett assured the council the clinic would treat any and all people regardless of their ability to pay.

She said in the physician search, the candidates will be told the one selected would have to live in Gurdon. This, Bennett reminded those present, could prove to be a problem because most doctors tend to migrate toward more metropolitan areas, unless they grew up in rural areas and want to return.

According to Bennett, those patients referred to a hospital will not automatically be sent to St. Joseph's. Instead, she said, they will be sent to the nearest hospital, or where they prefer to go.

The crowd was told more health screenings would be done at the clinic, including screenings for diabetes and prostate cancer.

The clinic has been opened up to specialists at St. Joseph's so they can expand their practices to include Gurdon.