WOLCOTT — Two years ago, the only doctor's office in the small Indiana town of Wolcott closed its doors.
That left the town's residents with two options: drive to the closest city or forgo checkups altogether.
"That was a reoccurring statement that we kept hearing: 'I haven’t seen a doctor since Dr. (James) Shields closed his office'," said Suzan Overholser.
Overholser is director of operations for Wolcott's new clinic that North Central Nursing Clinics and the Purdue School of Nursing opened last month.
The Purdue clinic operation, which has three other locations in the state, has set up shop in rural towns that have limited access to health care to increase and promote wellness in the communities.
Residents of the White County town had been looking for a physician since spring 2014, when Shields retired, but they couldn't find a physician to fill the vacancy, said Jim Layman, executive director for Purdue's Nursing Clinics.
The lack of health services not only affected residents but also the town's ability to attract businesses to the area.
When companies looked into opening up businesses nearby, they kept asking about local hospitals, Layman said. So, Remington-Wolcott Community Development Corp. sought out North Central Nursing Clinics for help.
The nonprofit corporation then purchased a building at 128 W. Market St. and now leases it out to the clinic.