With the closure of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, doctors have had to decide whether to find a new hospital to work with or to close their office.

In the case of Bellefonte Ironton Urgent Care and Primary Care, they have decided to transition to become part of Southern Ohio Medical Center.

The shift to becoming SOMC’s Ironton Family Health Center is expected to occur by the end of April. It will continue to see patients during the transition and keep the same hours.

Providers transitioning to SOMC include urgent care providers, Dr. Roland Benton and Dr. Bryan Fuller, and primary care providers, Dr. James Meadows and Kristie Johnson, NP.

In a Facebook post, Benton said he and Fuller felt this was the best decision for them and the staff.

“We had a number of great offers, but SOMC seems to be the perfect fit for our team,” he wrote.

SOMC president and CEO Ben Gill said it was important that the hospital do what it could to help the employees and the community impacted by OLBH’s closing.

This ensures the patients in Lawrence County can continue to be treated in the same building, by the same providers and staff,” he said. “We have been working with Bon Secours Mercy Health to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

The Ironton Urgent Care is located at 1015 E Ring Road in Ironton.