A Tuesday grand-opening celebration is planned for MU Health’s new medical building in mid-Missouri’s Mexico. The event begins at 9:30 am.

Columbia-based MU Health’s south Clark medical building in Mexico houses a family medicine clinic and a new Mizzou urgent care.

The town has been without a hospital since March, when Noble Health closed its doors. Mexico’s population is about 11,500, and there’s a large elderly population there and in Audrain County.

The new clinic offers care for the entire family, and has physician Dr. Diane Jacobi and nurse practitioner Regina Hill.  The urgent care also has physicians.

Residents in Mexico and Audrain County had been forced to drive to Columbia for emergency and other health care, once the hospital closed. Much of that health care need can be met with the new facility. It’s been a high priority for the Mexico area chamber of commerce.

MU Health says the Mexico facilities highlight its commitment to expand access to health care in rural communities like Mexico, Boonville and Fayette.