After nearly two years of research, planning, local community meetings and vision, West River Health Services, the leader in Western Dakota healthcare, is moving forward with building a new $1.5 million healthcare clinic in Lemmon, SD. The former 8,000 square foot IGA Grocery Store on Main Street has been purchased and will be refurbished into a state-of-the-art healthcare clinic facility over the next seven months. Local contractors, led by D.A. Peterson & Associates and his team (including B & C Plumbing, Stock’s Electric, Custom 101 and more), have been selected by the WRHS Board of Directors to build this new clinic.
Historically and currently, West River Health Services (WRHS) has been leasing their Health Clinic facility at 401 6th Avenue West, from the Lemmon Area Medical Association (LAMA). This facility has been lean on needed upgrades to patient room privacy, wheel-chair accessibility and parking. All three of these concerns and more will be addressed with the new Lemmon Clinic.
A new healthcare clinic in downtown Lemmon should bolster Lemmon’s downtown business district and their overall economic development in general. With 10-15 employees operating the clinic and nearly 7,000 patient visits per year, the economy in downtown Lemmon should increase immensely.
Local WRHS employees had a huge impact on the development and planning of this new Lemmon Clinic project. They were involved from the beginning with brainstorming, planning and development. They will continue to play a huge role throughout the project’s completion in early June and with our area patients in the future.
The Foundation at West River Health Services has already begun rolling out a fundraising campaign for the New Lemmon Clinic. The overall goal is to raise $300,000! The theme for the campaign is TOGETHER -- WE CAN BUILD A NEW CLINIC. Although the initial groundwork has been laid, Ted Uecker, Fund Development Officer, is hoping to meet with most every business, organization and family in the Greater Lemmon Area over the next few months. A Sponsorship Program for this campaign has been developed, whereby interested supporters can give at levels from $1,000 to $100,000 to secure sponsorship of different rooms throughout the new health clinic. Of course, the WRHS Foundation is grateful for every gift, no matter the amount. Every donor who gives $100 or more will be part of the new Lemmon Clinic’s Donor Board.
If you want to learn more about this progressive and needed project in Lemmon, please contact Ted Uecker at 701-567-3666 or via email at fdo@wrhs.com. He’ll be more than happy to meet with you and explain the New Lemmon Clinic Project in further detail. Onward!
By Ted Uecker, WRHS Foundation