April 01, 2008

O'Neill Family Practice Joins Avera Medical Group

Dr. Jay Allison and Dr. Barbara Gutshall of O’Neill Family Practice announced April 1, 2008 they reached an agreement to join the Avera Sacred Heart family of health care providers – part of Avera Medical Group. The Avera Medical Group relationship is through Sacred Heart Rural Health Clinics, Inc., a subsidiary of Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, S.D. and Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital of O’Neill.  Effective April 1, 2008, O’Neill Family Practice officially changes its name to Avera O’Neill Family Medicine.

Douglas Ekeren, Vice President of Planning and Development, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, stated that O’Neill Family Practice approached Avera Sacred Heart about a possible partnership to sustain and improve the care and resources the clinic provides its patients. “It was a great fit for us and for them,” Ekeren said. “We look forward to this new relationship with Avera O’Neill Family Medicine. We are familiar with the providers at O’Neill Family Practice and have been very impressed with the quality of care provided by the staff. We believe the mission and vision of Avera Sacred Heart and the employees are well suited for each other.”

According to Dr. Allison, the agreement with both Avera facilities will provide Avera O’Neill Family Medicine with access to resources that will allow them to better provide health care services to the people in the area. “This agreement is positive for the clinic, our employees and the community,” he said. “Joining the Avera Medical Group network of providers enables us to focus our attention on our patients and gives us access to additional services allowing us to better provide a full continuum of care.”

Avera Sacred Heart already owned five clinics in Nebraska prior to this partnership – Avera Sacred Heart Medical Clinics in Hartington, Crofton and Niobrara; Avera Pierce Medical Clinic; and Avera Holt County Medical Clinic also in O’Neill.

Avera O’Neill Family Medicine, which had been independently owned, now becomes part of the Avera Medical Group which includes over 325 physicians and 187 allied health professionals in 34 communities throughout Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota. Under the new agreement, the employees of Avera O’Neill Family Medicine will become employees of Sacred Heart Rural Health Clinics.  

Ron Cork, President & CEO of Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital, said this arrangement is beneficial and progressive for the region. “The decision to partner with Avera Sacred Heart was based on their expertise and their track record in managing similar facilities and keeping the interests of the community and residents it serves as their main priority.”

The four physicians and two mid-level providers will remain in O’Neill and continue providing high quality health care services for the people in the area said Dr. Barbara Gutshall. “While this will be a short time of transition, our staff and physicians remain focused on providing quality health care to the patients and families of O’Neill and the surrounding communities. This partnership give us the access and support from a technology standpoint that was simply not feasible for us to do on our own.”

“We believe that by partnering with Avera Sacred Heart and Avera St. Anthony’s, we will be able to ensure that quality health care stays a vital part of this community for years to come,” agreed Dr. Allison.

Established in 1968 by Dr. Robert Waters, Avera O’Neill Family Medicine has the distinction of being the oldest and largest clinic in O’Neill, NE.  Dr. Richard Fitch joined the practice in 1970 and the two family practitioners moved to the present location in 1971. The clinic now employs 23 staff including four physicians; Jay Allison, MD; Matthew Winklebauer, MD, Preston Renshaw, MD; all family practitioners; and Barbara Gutshall, MD, internal medicine, and two mid-level practitioners; Sharon Spencer, FNP-BC, and Shelley Herrington, FNP/WHNP-BC. They also provide weekly or bi-weekly outreach services to Spencer, Page, Ewing and Chambers, Neb.

St. Anthony’s Hospital has been under the umbrella of Avera Sacred Heart Hospital since February 1998, when the sponsorship of the hospital was transferred to the Benedictine Sisters of Yankton. The Benedictines and Presentation Sisters (Aberdeen, S.D.), established Avera Health in Oct. 1998 and the name of the hospital was changed to Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital to reflect this change.

Established in 1987 by the Benedictine Sisters in Yankton, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital is a widely recognized regional health care facility that serves more than 120,000 residents in a 15-county area in southeastern South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska. With its mission “to make a positive impact in the lives and health of persons and communities by providing quality services guided by Christian values,” the hospital is the largest employer in Yankton with over 950 employees and continues to expand to meet the changing needs of the region. 

Pictured below:  Back L to R: Matthew Winkelbauer, MD; Jay Allison, MD; Preston Renshaw, MD.
Front L to R: Barbara Gutshall, MD;Sharon Spencer, FNP-BC; Shelly Herrington, FNP/WHNP-BC.