OCH buying McDonald County health system

Ozarks Community Hospital penned a deal to purchase southwest Missouri clinic operator Elk River Health Services Inc.

The acquisition, scheduled to close Jan. 1, would give OCH ownership of four rural clinics in the McDonald County towns of Anderson, Pineville, Goodman and Southwest City. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, according to a news release.

“Elk River Health Services Inc. has served McDonald County’s medical needs for the past 36 years. Due to economic pressures from the medical insurance industry, Elk River has been forced to make changes in order to continue service to the county,” said Dr. R. David Hill, medical director and physician for Elk River Health, in the release. “This move will provide the Elk River Health clinics in McDonald County with the economic security needed to survive the future challenges on the immediate horizon.”

OCH will retain Elk River’s 17 staff members and change the name of the clinics to OCH Anderson Rural Health Clinic, OCH Pineville Medical Clinic, OCH Goodman Family Clinic and OCH Southwest City Community Clinic. The clinics serve roughly 7,500 patients in the McDonald County area. Hill will stay on as medical director through 2021, according to the agreement.

The four rural clinics will join OCH operations in Springfield, Nixa, Sparta, Rogersville, Marshfield, Mount Vernon and Bolivar, as well as in Carthage, Noel and Gravette, Ark.

In July, OCH closed its Springfield inpatient center, as well as its surgery and emergency departments, and laid off 200 as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services terminated its Medicare agreement.