BVRMC breaks ground on new medical office building in Storm Lake

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center is putting family medicine and pharmacy services under one roof in Storm Lake, a move designed to make routine care simpler for patients who now split time between separate locations on the BVRMC campus. The roughly 30,000-square-foot medical office building is planned north of the current hospital main entrance and is expected to be finished in 2027.

The hospital marked the start of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, May 5. When the building opens, it will house all UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine providers and the BVRMC Pharmacy in one patient-centered setting, reducing the need for extra trips for appointments, prescriptions and follow-up visits.

The BVRMC Board of Trustees approved moving forward with the project on Feb. 24, 2026. Dr. Rick Lampe, who chairs the board, has said the hospital is focused on looking ahead and preparing for the future of health care in the region, while Kyle Glienke, a family medicine and internal medicine physician with UnityPoint Family Medicine-Buena Vista and BVRMC, spoke at the ceremony about strengthening care locally.

That local focus matters in Buena Vista County, where the 2020 Census counted 20,823 residents, and in Storm Lake, where the population was 11,269. For families across the county, the new building should mean a more streamlined visit when they need a doctor and a prescription in the same stop, instead of making separate trips across town.

The consolidation also reinforces BVRMC’s role as a regional employer and care hub. The medical center says it employs 400 people from 45 different communities, giving the project significance well beyond the hospital campus. A stronger, more efficient primary care site could help BVRMC compete for doctors and staff while making it easier to serve patients from Storm Lake and the surrounding rural area.

The change also builds on the hospital’s current layout. BVRMC Pharmacy is now inside the Specialty Clinic at 620 Northwestern Drive, while UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine-Buena Vista is at 620 Northwestern Drive, Suite 1. BVRMC’s specialty-services page also notes an existing walkway connection between the clinic spaces, underscoring how the new building is meant to tighten that campus footprint and make everyday care easier to navigate.

With construction now underway, BVRMC is betting that a more connected medical office building will pay off in shorter trips, smoother visits and a stronger local health system for years to come.