MARSHALL — It’s been more than a year since the building on Carlson Street in Marshall has operated as a clinic. But starting this weekend — services such as family medicine, pediatrics, urgent care and more — will be back on Carlson Street.

Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center and Rural Health Care, Inc. (RHCI) are working together to open the Carlson Street campus as a Federally Qualified Health Center. The collaboration will allow Avera primary care services to return to Carlson Street and operate as Access Health – Marshall. The clinic opens Sunday, Avera Marshall spokespeople said.

“This collaboration expands access to high-quality care in rural communities, including those individuals and families who fall into lower income categories,” said Avera Marshall Regional President and CEO Debbie Streier. “Avera and Rural Health Care, Inc. have partnered successfully for more than seven years in several communities.”

Streier said Avera providers and professionals are excited for the chance to return medical services to the Carlson Street campus.

The benefits of having a Federally Qualified Health Center in the Marshall area include a sliding-fee discount program and a discounted pharmacy program for federally qualified individuals, a Thursday news release said. RHCI accepts all major insurances and provides services to all individuals regardless of ability to pay, by providing a sliding scale based on family income and size. RHCI operates 12 other community-based health centers in South Dakota and Minnesota and has its headquarters in Fort Pierre, S.D., the release said.

Avera Marshall employees, including 34 physicians and advanced practice providers, are making the move to the Carlson Street clinic, Avera Marshall spokespeople said. Available services will include behavioral health, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine and urgent care. Limited lab and imaging services will also be available.

Through a lease agreement with RHCI, physicians, advanced practice professionals and staff at the Carlson Street campus will continue to be employed by Avera.

“Avera’s willingness and enthusiasm to collaborate with RHCI will allow the Marshall clinic to reach more individuals in need of quality health care,” said Jim Hardwick, CEO of RHCI. “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 in rural locations.”

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 few 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.

Thursday’s news release said services offered at Avera Marshall’s Bruce Street and East College Drive locations will not be part of the Federally Qualified Health Center on Carlson Street, and will stay as Avera Medical Group locations.