Mayo Clinic’s clinic closures in southeastern Minnesota have left thousands of residents facing longer drives for primary care, marking one of the largest single-wave shutdowns in recent years and intensifying a longstanding rural healthcare crisis.
The Closures: Six Clinics Shuttered
Belle Plaine, Caledonia, Montgomery, Northridge, St. Peter, and Wells saw their clinics close on December 10, 2025, just three months after the announcement. In Montgomery, a small town with approximately 3,500 residents, the closure eliminated the town’s only healthcare site, forcing 15-minute-plus drives for routine visits. Patients now travel 6 to 23 additional miles each way.
Residents with young children face particular challenges with the increased travel distances. Transportation disruptions can make consistent care difficult for families with infants, especially when adding 20-40 minutes of round-trip travel to appointments.
Mayo Clinic attributed the closures to staffing shortages and declining patient volumes, leading to service consolidation. Dr. Karthik Ghosh, Vice President of Mayo Clinic Health System Minnesota, stated: “These decisions reflect the realities of delivering high-quality care in smaller communities today.” Many small clinics rely on one or two physicians, making them vulnerable to single departures.
Beyond the six clinics, Albert Lea lost elective outpatient services in ophthalmology, orthopedics, endoscopy, and gynecology, relocated 25 miles to Austin and Waseca. This represented a reversal from Mayo’s earlier commitments to maintain and enhance outpatient surgery services in the community.
A Deepening Rural Healthcare Crisis
Nationwide, 20% of Americans live rurally, but only 10% of physicians practice there, due to lower pay, limited childcare, and fewer advancement opportunities. In Minnesota, 69 of 87 counties—79%—are Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. Rural patients already travel 18 miles on average for care, double urban distances, with trips now extended further. Pre-closure, rural travel averaged 64 minutes for medical-surgical care versus 19 minutes urban.
Mayo’s actions reflect a U.S. trend: over 130 rural hospitals closed since 2010, with 700 at risk and 300 at immediate risk. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals have ended labor and delivery, averaging two monthly closures since 2020. Minnesota seeks $1 billion in federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds for workforce, technology, and collaboration. The July 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut Medicaid by $911 billion over 10 years—20% of rural hospital revenue—offset partially by a $50 billion fund covering just 37% of losses.
Mounting Consequences
The closures displaced healthcare workers, with Mayo offering guidance on future options but no placement guarantees. Rural clinics anchor local economies: one primary care physician supports 26.3 jobs and $1.4 million in annual labor income. Losses extend to supply chains and tax bases, as seen in Montgomery.
Extra travel correlates with significantly higher rates of missed appointments and reduced screenings. Rural seniors often skip care due to costs, while suicide rates stand at approximately 16 per 100,000 versus 11.8 urban.
Community Response and Limited Solutions
In Albert Lea, the Health Care Coalition, led by President Brad Arends, is fundraising for two new clinics with employer groups and fresh providers, targeting operation in six months. Retired Mayo doctors have volunteered part-time. Arends noted: “We’re not surprised by it… I think this was probably the plan all along.”
Mayo promotes its 24/7 Primary Care On Demand virtual service, but rural broadband access remains limited. Rural adoption of phone and video visits lags urban rates, and virtual options cannot replace hands-on exams.
These closures signal accelerating consolidation amid policy lags, pitting centralized care against local needs. Federal funds and reforms could shift incentives toward retention and equity, but rural towns await action before more doors close, determining whether medical deserts expand or reverse.
Sources
Mayo Clinic to close 6 clinics, consolidate service lines. Healthcare Dive, September 9, 2025
Mayo Clinic to shutter 6 clinics, consolidate care. Becker’s Hospital Review, September 8, 2025
Mayo Clinic closes 6 rural Minnesota health clinics, more may follow. MPR News, December 19, 2025
Clinical Service Transitions. Mayo Clinic Health System, updated December 11, 2025
The Loss of a Rural Hospital Is Devastating for a Local Community. Boston University School of Public Health, 2025