SSM Health Clinic closing at the Lake of the Ozarks
LAKE OZARK, Mo. (KY3) - St. Mary’s Medical Group announced its walk-in clinic in Lake Ozark will close on December 31.
Patients call it an inconvenience.
Michael MacDougall is a patient. He says this closure means he will have to drive 45 minutes to the Jefferson City location.
”We’re going to have to travel further if we want to continue using SSM,” said Dougall.
Cindy DeMello is also a patient at the clinic and says with her insurance this is the location that works best.
”It’s gonna affect my insurance. My insurance is through SSM. I’m on disability, and I’m on Social Security, so I have a limited income. I don’t have the money to drive back and forth to Jefferson City, or if I change my insurance, I could have to drive as far as Springfield, which is over an hour away,“ said DeMello.
She doesn’t want to go to the other medical groups in the area.
We reached out to St. Mary’s Health for comment. We asked for an interview twice. The company denied both requests. Instead, it emailed KY3 this statement.
”I can confirm SSM Health Medical Group – Family Medicine & Walk-in Clinic located at 2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd. is closing on Dec. 31. We have to concentrate our resources where they are most needed, and unfortunately, that can sometimes result in the closing of a clinic. We have proactively reached out to all affected patients to let them know this location is closing.”
According to the statement, the closure is to “reallocate resources.” MacDougall and DeMello both asked. They say they were told it was because the clinic isn’t making enough money.
”They’re not making enough money, but yet I was in the doctor’s office, they have their charts, they have their goals, and they’ve gone above and beyond every single one of their goals for this office,” said DeMello.
DeMello told KY3 she has yet to receive a letter regarding the closure. She found out on social media.
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