MercyOne South Des Moines to End Urgent Care and Family Medicine Services, Forcing Iowans to Travel Further for Basic Care

DES MOINES, IA – Today, MercyOne South Des Moines announced it will end urgent care and family medicine services on July 26, forcing families in the Des Moines metro to travel farther and wait longer to access basic care. While some patients may face an extra 20-30 minute drive, the approximately 1 in 5 Iowans enrolled in Medicaid who don’t drive themselves to health visits could see their trips stretch by as much as 1-2 hours by bus just to see their physician.

In a press release, MercyOne cited federal changes to Medicaid and Medicare funding as the reason they can no longer sustain these services — a direct result of Iowa’s entire federal delegation voting for a budget bill that threatens health care for 110,000 Iowans and threatens funding for rural hospitals. 

This closure is part of a troubling pattern. Earlier this year, MercyOne ended labor and delivery services in Clinton, closed its Ottumwa Family and Internal Medicine Clinic, and announced layoffs in Mason City and Des Moines. Across the state, Iowans are seeing access shrink, costs rise, and local providers pushed to the brink — all consequences of the same federal budget bill Iowa’s representatives voted for, which continues to strain Iowa’s health care system and force difficult cuts.

“Health care in Iowa is getting more expensive, harder to reach, and less reliable,” said candidate for governor Rob Sand. “We’re seeing fewer providers, strained hospitals, and basic services disappearing from communities that can’t afford to lose them. That makes a long drive one-way just to get basic care. Meanwhile current leaders stoke culture wars and double down on policies that make the problem worse. It’s time for change.”

Iowa’s recent health care rankings continue to decline: 

• Iowa ranks last in the nation for OB-GYNs per capita.
• Iowa ranks 44th in the nation for physicians per capita.
• Iowa is ranked number one for cancer growth in the nation.
• A recent report revealed that Iowa now ranks 48th in the nation for hospital safety.
• Iowa is the worst in the nation for psychiatric beds.