Putting heart in healthcare

Mayo Clinic closed in Janesville in August of 2023; it was officially finished moving out on March 1, of 2024, leaving Heartland Healthcare the only medical provider remaining in town. Just two blocks off Main Street across from the Summers Ridge Veterinary Clinic, the facility’s address is 303 East First Street.

Open since October 2, 2023, it has been a one-man operation from the get-go. Physician’s Assistant (PA) Ken Bentson is in charge of this small-town family practice. He answers his own phones and manages his own schedule, a pair of cost-cutting measures, he says, that results in significant savings for his clinic’s patients.

Bentson pointed out the “bigger guys” may charge as much as $260 just to walk in the door. “Even with a deductible, you’re still paying 80% of $260,” he said.

At Heartland Healthcare, the base charge for a visit is $55, “Cash, check or pay next month if you need.” Said Bentson, “If you can’t afford it, we’ve gotten others to donate. We make sure you get taken care of.” One of his highest goals, Bentson said, is to make healthcare affordable for those who live in and near his community. He has a long history in the healthcare industry; many of his more than 20 years in the field have been spent serving Janesville residents. He said, “Small towns are more relaxed. You get more satisfaction in getting to know people over time.”

Bentson also knows family life very well. With a strong marriage of 27 years, he has four children. He’s also had a hand in raising foster children. Already a very personable man, he seems highly focused on his practice: “All my patients are special. Our differences make up everything.” Adding to his experience with children, he fondly remembered, “At my old clinic, kids always got a Ring Pop when we were finished. Now as adults, those same ‘kids’ see me and still expect a Ring Pop when they’re done.”

The building for Bentson’s Heartland Healthcare clinic was remodeled from a mechanic’s garage. The posh remodel it underwent left no sign of the former purpose; now patients spend time in the office, waiting room, small playroom, or one of the three exam rooms. Bentson explained one is for procedures, one for general examination and one for pediatrics. In the waiting room he pointed around and said, “This room we’re in now used to be a detailing station for cleaning cars.”

But with the cars long gone, at the door there’s a coat rack with an interesting history. A jacket and hat belonging to Bentson’s uncle, Frank Keeley,  have been there for the last three years. His uncle passed away, but his hat and jacket remain as an understated memorial.  An old cuckoo clock ticks away on the wall with rustic pinecone-shaped weights from the Black Forest of Germany keeping it in time. In the corner stands an antique wooden highchair, another leftover from Bentson’s Janesville farmstead roots. On a bookshelf is a family bible from 1957. On the floor are a rug and toy box filled with toys or coloring books to give the kids something to do while waiting.

Bentson said he currently lives in Mankato, but has a long line of Janesville heritage running through his veins. “My family has been in this area since 1860.” He had four great uncles who farmed nearby their whole lives. Just like them, Bentson says he plans to be here forever.

Not stopping his service to Janesville with just medicine, Bentson also has extensive seminary training. Having completed his training in 2017, he volunteers time doing evangelical and outreach work at local facilities including the Blue Earth and Nicollet county jails. He described meeting with four to six women and eight to ten men each week. Another form of outreach he said he participates in is “JPay,” an email service for the incarcerated, kind of like pen pals for those in jail or prison. His work also extends to Broken Chains Fellowship, whose mission statement is to help people recover from drug addiction using Christ, motorcycles and fellowship.

Heartland Healthcare has a sister facility in Winnebago. To reach the Janesville office, interested persons can email Bentson at HeartlandHC@bevcomm.net, or schedule an appointment by calling 507-893-3072.