UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge (Iowa) closed its orthopedic clinic, according to The Messenger.
Here are four things to know:
1. James Mueller, MD, was the only orthopedic surgeon at the clinic. He had been the single surgeon for nearly a year before the clinic closed.
2. The hospital teamed up with UnityPoint Health — Des Moines (Iowa) and Des Moines Orthopedic surgeons to transfer patients who need care.
3. Fort Dodge has struggled to acquire orthopedic surgeons in the past. In December 2005, the four orthopedic surgeons at UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge orthopedic clinic resigned.
4. The hospital cited difficulty recruiting and retaining orthopedic surgeons as the reason for the clinic's closing.