Mount Ayr Medical Clinic

Allergies occur when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, mistakenly attacking a benign substance, such as a food or airborne particle, as if it were harmful. For most people with seasonal allergies (hay fever), allergic reactions first occur in childhood – although allergies can develop at any age.

At Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, we offer skin testing to determine the source of your allergic response. We also offer immunotherapy (allergy shots), which offers long-term relief by gradually training your body not to have an allergic reaction when in contact with a specific antigen.

Find out more about our allergy diagnosis & therapy services.

If you or a loved one has diabetes, you understand properly managing the condition is essential to maintaining your health. Diabetes education and management is crucial to helping patients with diabetes avoid serious medical complications of the disease, such as peripheral neuropathy, blindness, and limb amputation.

Diabetes Education Classes

At the Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, we are committed to giving patients the tools they need to be proactive in their diabetes management.

Certified diabetes educator Erica Grose, along with a dietician, conduct diabetes education classes at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic. These classes address a variety of topics, including:

• The diabetes disease process
• Nutritional management
• Physical activity
• Medications
• Monitoring
• Preventing, detecting, and treating acute complications
• Preventing, detecting, and treating chronic complications through risk reduction, goal-setting, and problem-solving
• Psychological adjustment
• Preconception care, diabetes management during pregnancy, and gestational diabetes management

To participate in our diabetes education classes, you do not have to be a current or established patient with Mount Ayr Medical Clinic. However, a referral from a family physician is required.

At Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, our medical providers offer all types of physical exams, including annual physicals for men, women, and children; athletic or sports physicals; and those that may be required of a job – such as DOT physicals.

Do you require a DOT physical to obtain or renew a commercial driver’s license (CDL)? Beginning May 21, 2014, commercial motor vehicle drivers are now required to obtain their federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA) medical exam from a certified medical examiner who is listed in the national registry. The registry helps commercial drivers and employees find trained and qualified medical examiners to perform these DOT physicals.

Dr. Katie Willcox and nurse practitioner Erin Leonard at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic are both certified medical examiners listed in the national registry. Call Mount Ayr Medical Clinic at (641) 464-4470 to schedule your DOT physical with Dr. Willcox or Erin – or simply request an appointment now.

• DOT Form

Family medical care is exactly what it sounds like: a broad base of healthcare services designed to treat the healthcare needs of every member of the family, from infants to seniors. The family medicine doctors and healthcare providers at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic are trained and experienced in diagnosing, treating, and preventing a broad range of health issues. Find out more about our family medicine services.

You can also visit our Patients & Visitors pages for patient forms, what to bring with you to your doctor appointment, and more.

The providers at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic regularly provide patients with the vaccines and immunizations they need. This includes vaccines to protect against:

If you are traveling and require certain immunization prior to departure, ask your Mount Ayr Medical Clinic provider when it is most appropriate to get those vaccines.

Flu Shot

To prepare for peak flu season, we recommend most people get their flu shot in the fall. The vaccine changes from year to year, in an effort to address the most prevalent strains expected to be circulating that season. Established patients of Mount Ayr Medical Clinic are welcome to walk in for a flu shot at a date and time convenient for you, during our usual operating hours. You can also schedule an appointment if you like.

Drive-Thru Flu Shot

We also offer drive-thru flu shots on certain days each year. In 2021, it was available twice: in early and mid-September. Stay tuned for more information about this year’s drive-thru flu shot schedule.

To streamline your drive-through experience, we ask that you print and complete our Drive-Thru Flu Shot Consent form and bring the completed form with you to the drive-thru location.

Do you wish you had access to a medical professional who could help guide you toward living a healthier, happier life? At Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, we offer our patients just that – in the form of access to registered nurse and health coach, Katie Smith.

Are you struggling with weight loss? Having trouble managing chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, COPD, or allergies? Katie can provide the information you need, and act as your own personal health cheerleader. If you’re struggling to find the motivation needed to make important lifestyle changes, Katie can help with that, too.

There is no fee for our health coaching services, and most patients find a weekly check-in with Katie, either in-person or over the phone, to be helpful and just the right amount of contact to help guide them toward healthier choices.

Find out more about our health coaching services.

Proper medical care for children isn’t just sized-down adult care. Instead, pediatric care involves a careful assessment of a child’s physical, mental, and social development from birth to young adulthood. Regular well-child exams are an important way to monitor your child’s growth and developmental progress, as well as identify the earliest signs of any issues, when they are most likely to be successfully treated.

Women who are pregnant should regularly see a medical provider to ensure they and their developing babies remain healthy throughout the course of their pregnancy. Prenatal care can begin as soon as you know you’re pregnant.

You will likely need supplements like folic acid, certain vaccinations, and regular ultrasound imaging to monitor fetal health throughout your pregnancy. Prenatal care helps reduce the likelihood of delivering a baby with a low birth weight (5.5 lbs. or less). It also helps new mothers better understand what to expect during labor and delivery, which can significantly lessen any anxiety a woman may have and help make the entire experience more pleasant and memorable.

Family planning services at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic include prenatal care through 34 weeks of pregnancy. Dr. Katie Willcox and nurse practitioner Erin Leonard are dedicated to providing this very important, compassionate, and rewarding care for expectant parents.

At 34 weeks, a patient’s care is transitioned to Dr. Tami Fahnlander, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist with Women’s Health Services in Clive and Waukee, Iowa. The care team at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic begins coordinating with Dr. Fahnlander when a mother-to-be is 20 weeks along in her pregnancy. This helps ensure the transition to labor and delivery is as smooth and seamless as possible.

Pregnant women who live in Mount Ayr and the surrounding rural areas benefit from this arrangement by receiving comprehensive, high-quality prenatal and OB-GYN care, while cutting down on travel time and costs by reducing the number of trips they need to make into the city.

Virtual doctor visits are here! Using telehealth, our medical team can assess your concern or condition, prescribe medicine or other therapies, and follow-up after surgery or other procedures – all while you remain in the comfort and safety of your own home. You may be surprised at the range of healthcare services that can be offered during a real-time video visit with your doctor using your computer, smartphone, or other internet-connected device.

Find out more about our telemedicine services.

Appropriate and timely wound care is critical to your ability to heal quickly and completely. It can help prevent infection or other complications, saving you time and money in the long run.

If you are injured and wondering whether you should visit a doctor, chances are you probably should. Additional signs your wound may need to be treated by a medical professional include:

• If the area around the wound becomes red, swollen, or warm to the touch
• If the wound appears to be getting worse or simply won’t heal
• If liquid or pus seeps from the wound
• If a foul smell is coming from the wound
• If you develop a fever or chills
• If you or a loved one is bedridden and prone to developing pressure ulcers
• If you have diabetes and get a cut, gash, or other wound that causes a break in the skin

Patients who are diabetic must be especially careful about wounds on their feet or hands. Very often, diabetes disrupts proper functioning of the peripheral nerves (the nerves in the hands and feet), so you may not even feel an injury in those areas until it has gotten much worse. Because diabetes also inhibits proper blood circulation, injuries can be difficult to heal – and can worsen significantly in just a matter of days. Daily foot inspection is key to identifying wounds that require immediate medical treatment.

Find out more about our wound care services.