Missouri Delta to build new medical clinic in Charleston

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Missouri Delta Medical Center will build a $1.4 million medical clinic in Charleston.

The new facility, which will be about 6,400 square feet, will house Missouri Delta's Rural Health Clinic and ReStart Rehabilitation Center, according to Jason Schrumpf, vice president of professional services.

Schrumpf said the hospital had outgrown existing facilities and confirmed that, along with other health care providers in Charleston, "there will be a full-time physician there."

The county Industrial Development Authority and Charleston Regional Economic Development donated $50,000 each toward the purchase of the facility's three-acre lot on the south side of East Marshall Street.

Charles Ancell, president and chief executive officer of Missouri Delta Medical Center, credited the boards of those organizations "for their cooperation and generosity in making this project a reality."

City manager Dan Gruen described the project as "a private-public partnership" that has been made possible largely through the efforts of three Charleston residents who serve on Missouri Delta Medical Center's board, including chairman Jim Cullison.

"This will guarantee continuous health care to the residents of Mississippi County for years to come," Cullison said. "It will be nice to have this new facility in town and, more importantly, a place where everyone in the community is assured access to primary care services."

Mayor David Manker said Missouri Delta Medical Center is the first to develop properties the city council had worked for years to secure options on.

Gruen said he hopes the medical clinic will spur commercial growth in that part of town.

Missouri Delta Medical Center officials hope to break ground on the building's construction in the summer, Schrumpf said.