MARSHALL — Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center is exploring a partnership that could bring health care providers back into the Carlson Street clinic facility. On Monday, Avera Marshall officials announced that they would be working with Rural Health Care, Inc., to possibly open a primary care clinic in Marshall as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

If the plan is approved by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the clinic would open Jan. 1.

“This collaboration expands access to high-quality care in rural communities. An FQHC is able to provide services to anyone regardless of their ability to pay or health insurance status — a model that fits so well with our Avera mission,” said Debbie Streier, regional president and CEO at Avera Marshall. “While this collaboration would be new to us in Marshall, Avera and Rural Health Care, Inc. have partnered successfully for the last six years in several communities. The long-standing partnership between the two organizations is instrumental in being able to bring this program to our region.”

Rural Health Care, Inc., is headquartered in Fort Pierre, S.D., and has several locations in South Dakota and Minnesota. Last Fall, Avera and Rural Health Care, Inc., announced they would be collaborating at clinics in Windom and Fulda.

Under the proposed plan, Avera Medical Group Marshall’s primary care clinic services would transition to operate as Access Health – Marshall. Services at the Carlson Street campus would include family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine, and urgent care. The site would also have limited laboratory and imaging services.

Physicians, advanced practice professionals and staff at the clinic would continue to be employed by Avera. However, services would be leased to Rural Health Care, Inc., through a service agreement.

FQHCs were created by federal law in 1991, as “safety net” health care providers that charge for services on a sliding-fee scale based on family income and size.

“Avera’s willingness and enthusiasm to collaborate with RHCI would allow the clinic in Marshall to reach more individuals in need of quality health care,” said Jim Hardwick, CEO of Rural Health Care, Inc. “In today’s health care climate, increasing access to high-quality, cost-effective health care is the goal. This collaborative delivery model has a long history of reducing barriers while enhancing and expanding access to care.”

The Carlson Street clinic was built by Affiliated Community Medical Center in Marshall, and went through a couple of different changes in leadership within the past three years. ACMC became part of Carris Health in early 2018, and then the clinic became part of Avera Marshall later that same year.

In April 2020, Avera Marshall consolidated the clinic’s services to its Bruce Street campus. Since then, the clinic has mainly been a site for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

“We are excited about the potential to return medical services to our Carlson Street campus. It’s a beautiful, welcoming care environment. This also allows us to accomplish more with our remodeling of the Bruce Street campus and 1104 East College Drive building,” Streier said.

“The previous remodeling plan accomplished a lot, but this new direction would allow us to do even more to enhance the patient experience and prepare for continued long-term growth of local medical services,” Streier said.