SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Horizon Health Care and allPOINTS Health Services are forming a network of 31 medical, dental and school-based clinics across South Dakota.
Horizon CEO John Mengenhausen says it's an obvious merger.
Mengenhausen says both institutions are federally qualified health centers, they've work closely together for the last decade and it's an opportunity for them to come together and strengthen their organizations.
Mengenhausen says the deal was done with an eye on potential changes from Washington.
He says the small, rural, frontier sites will continue to struggle. So it's even more important that providers work together to insure that health care is available to many of those communities.
Mengenhausen says patients will continue to receive quality health care and won't notice the changes.
He says rural residents are always concerned about the future of their clinic, wondering when and if it will close. A larger organization can possibly bring a little more stability to those distant clinic.
allPOINTS has medical and dental clinics in the southeast, while Horizon has facilities spread across South Dakota.