-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
The northwest side of the Crossroads Mall site will be the future home of UnityPoint Health - Fort Dodge Express clinic. The clinic is anticipated to open this summer.

The expansion of surgical services and a brand new clinic are two significant projects currently undertaken by UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge.

Troy Martens, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge chief operating officer, said surgical services continue to grow. There are five surgical providers out of that particular clinic.

For that reason, surgery will be relocated to the second floor of Entrance B building. Meanwhile, orthopedics will remain on the third floor of that building.

“The space is to support that growth for both of those services,” he said. “That project started last year and continues this year.”

Meanwhile, there has been other movement of services throughout the hospital.

The University of Iowa Child Health specialty clinic, which was on the second floor of Physician Office Building West, is now located on the ground floor of POB West.

Allergy, Asthma and Immune Disorders, PC moved to another hallway in the west building, second floor, across from urology.

Another development is the construction of UnityPoint Clinic — Express on the Crossroads Mall site. It is being built on the northeast side of the site.

According to information provided by UnityPoint, the goal of the clinic will be to get patients in and out within 30 minutes.

The clinic will offer diagnostic testing and on-site prescriptions.

“It’s more or less in-and-out care for acute reasons,” said Alyssa Stanek, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge senior marketing communications specialist. “It adds that convenience for the patient, from the time they register, then they will be in the same room. It really helps move things along.”

Once open, the clinic’s hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

“The availability of the express clinic service in a retail location that’s available seven days a week, 365 days a year — that’s brand new to this community,” Martens said.

Phillip Nelson, director of facility operations, anticipates the clinic opening in late June. Construction began in the fall of 2020.

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Another project starting this year centers around the Highland Park building, where outpatient therapy and occupational medicine are currently located.

“We are in the process of relocating those services,” Martens said.

Occupational medicine will be relocated to the Medical Arts building on Second Avenue North. It will co-locate with the Family Medicine clinic.

Outpatient therapy will move to the main UnityPoint Health campus on Kenyon Road.

“We are trying to reduce operating expenses and there are also benefits of bringing them to the main campus,” Martens said. “We really like that location for a lot of reasons.”

Martens said outpatient therapy will be co-located with the wound center and lymphedema services.

“There is a lot of cross support,” Martens said “We will be adding outpatient therapy services — one window to check in and then those services will all be available within that overall space.”

Nelson said the relocation of outpatient therapy and occupational medicine will occur later in the year.

“The plan is to get them all moved in 2021.

Once the move is complete, UnityPoint will look at transitioning ownership of the Highland Park building.

Martens did clarify that the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home, located next door to the Highland Park building will remain the hospital’s property and will not move.

“That’s an important service and an important location for the hospice home,” Martens said.