Mayo Clinic Health System will close its Alden and Kiester clinics by Jan. 25.

The news was announced Friday in a hospital system press release and came a little more than two months after it announced it will no longer have on-site practitioners after Jan. 1 at the two clinics.

According to Mayo, the decision came after it reviewed options regarding the two facilities and after it held meetings with the two cities.

No jobs are expected to be lost by the closing.

In a Nov. 1 Tribune article, Kiester Mayor Doug Trytten said the community meeting was meant to inform Kiester officials on health care alternatives Mayo Clinic could have provided after Jan. 1, such as patient video kiosks. He said at the time he was evaluating the possibility of other health care options.

“Mayo Clinic Health System has reached the conclusion that we are not able to staff these two clinics at a level that will provide proper clinical care,” the hospital system stated Friday.

Jay Mitchell, Mayo Clinic Health System Southeast Minnesota regional chairman for outpatient practice, said the decision was taken seriously.

“We listened to community concerns and pursued several options,” he said. “With patient data showing that more than half of the patients using the Alden and Kiester clinics come from other communities, as well as less than 10 patients being seen on any given day at either clinic, we believe patients’ health care needs will be better served in other nearby clinic locations in Lake Mills, New Richland, Wells and Albert Lea.”

The hospital system announced earlier last year the two clinics would be open one day a week until the end of the year.

The hospital system’s previous announcement came after longtime Kiester certified nurse practitioner Lanice Engebretson announced her retirement effective Nov. 16.

The clinics have offered general care and blood work for aging patients who need help keeping track of medical conditions, such as diabetes and iron content issues.

“We have met face-to-face with the 10 Alden and Kiester staff, which includes schedulers, LPNs and lab technicians,” Mitchell said.

Mayo Clinic Health System spokesman Ricky Thiesse said staff members were offered jobs at the health system and either took those positions or accepted jobs elsewhere. 

Mayo Clinic Health System Southeast Minnesota Regional Vice President Annie Sadosty said she appreciated discussing the challenges the hospital system faced with the communities during the meetings. She said the events provided insight as to the needed levels of care in Alden and Kiester.

“We also are very willing to continue to (have) these discussions with each community to continue to look for innovative ways to meet patient care needs close to home,” she said.

During this month, patients at the two clinics are expected to be provided information on how to access care, including a 24/7 nurse care line to treat routine conditions, patient online services, express care online offered through the website and available care at other Mayo Clinic Health System locations.

“Recruitment of providers continues to be a challenge in not just the southeast Minnesota region, but at all rural health care sites,” Mitchell said. “Combined with the lower utilization rate at rural clinics, it is increasingly more difficult to direct resources to facilities like Alden and Kiester.

“It’s an issue we will continue to face regionally and nationally, which is why we need to continue to come up with alternative ways to provide care to our patients.”