McFarland Clinic has a Team Approach in the Clinic and the Community
Teamwork is the hallmark of McFarland Clinic's success
In This Article
In the Clinic
McFarland Clinic began serving central Iowa in 1946, when its original general practitioner, internist, surgeon, obstetrician, ear, eye and throat specialist banded together to serve central Iowa. It’s grown dramatically since that time. Today, 187 board-certified physicians and 114 advanced practice providers in 12 Iowa communities call McFarland Clinic home, providing the region with a level of care usually reserved for major metropolitan areas.
In the Community
Outreach is an important part of what we offer to the communities that rely on us. Whether through physicians traveling to provide care at area clinics, participation in United Way’s Day of Caring, or individual volunteer efforts, we give back to our friends and neighbors.
In July 2018, the McFarland team mobilized to help the citizens of Marshalltown after a tornado destroyed homes and businesses. The Main Street McFarland Clinic was damaged as well. The staff put patients’ needs first, even though they faced damage at home.
Why He Came to Central Iowa – and Stayed
McFarland oncologist Dr. Venkatesh Rudrapatna came to Central Iowa – and stayed. Here are his reason why.
- The Oncology Department is very strong, and its research clinical trial portfolio is robust.
- Many services are on site, including CT, PET and radiology. I can call someone and ask,
- “Can you get this patient in?” And they’re in.
- I can walk down the hallway to the hospital to see a patient, no coat, no driving across town.
- I have autonomy, independence and can provide the kind of care I was trained to offer.
- I work with many great specialists who are also committed to practicing good, ethical medicine.
- It’s a joy to come to work.
- Ames is very diverse with people from every part of the world. It’s affordable and culturally rich.
- And you can get anywhere quickly.
- Home is five minutes away! In my previous practice, I spent over an hour every day just driving
- back and forth between work and home. The hospitals were far away, too.
- The public schools are fantastic. Every activity you can imagine is available.
- I can drive five minutes to watch my kids’ soccer games and come back to finish work.
- If you want to play sports, there are leagues for everything – golf, racquetball, tennis,
- table tennis, soccer, cricket. We are teaching the kids to ski at a small resort 25 minutes away.
Why She Practices at McFarland Clinic
Dr. Jill Alexander, pediatrician, represents the third generation of her family to practice medicine at McFarland Clinic. Here is her story.
I was raised at McFarland Clinic. My sister and I ran through the halls playing tag as my grandfather and dad worked. My grandfather, Dr. David Wall, Sr., was one of the founders, mortgaging his house to help build the clinic in the 1940s. When it was too snowy for a woman to get to the hospital to deliver her baby, he walked through the snow to get to her. The telephone operators always knew where to find him.
My dad, Dr. David Wall, Jr., was an obstetrician, too. We couldn’t use the phone for more than 5 minutes just in case the hospital needed to reach him. That was torture for a teenager! But his and my grandfather’s example stuck with me. They always put their patients first.
That legacy still guides patient care here today. It’s one of the reasons I chose to come back to practice pediatric medicine here.
As for what some people call “flyover country,” central Iowa is a hidden gem. I can’t imagine living or practicing anywhere else!