Mayo Clinic Health Systems is closing its Waukon Clinic by the end of the year

Mayo Clinic Health Systems announced over the weekend that it will be closing its clinic in Waukon in December.

A statement released by Mayo Clinic Health System regional administrator Eric Erickson said the closing "reflects the changing landscape and challenges facing rural health care nationwide."  Specifically, Erickson said it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract physicians to rural clinics "as more physicians seek employment opportunities that offer greater work-life balance."  Erickson said it is difficult to recruit physicians for jobs which require being on call a majority of the time, as is common in rural practices.

Mayo says it will help transition patients to new providers, mostly to Winnishiek Medical Center in Decorah, but also to its clinics in Prairie du Chien and Caledonia.

The closing of Mayo's Waukon clinic follows an earlier announcement that Mayo is closing their La Crescent clinic in late November.