Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital: Regional Care in Willmar, MN

Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital is a full-service regional referral hospital located at 301 Becker Ave SW in Willmar, Minnesota, serving southwest and west-central Minnesota since 1937. Operating under the CentraCare health system, the hospital provides 136 licensed beds, more than 40 specialty services, and a designated Level III Trauma Center to communities across a 14-county territory.

Overview of Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital

Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital functions as the primary acute care and referral hub for southwest Minnesota, combining advanced specialty medicine with community-centered patient care.

The hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its main line is (320) 235-4543, and the Emergency Department can be reached at (320) 231-4560. Patient health records and appointment scheduling are managed through the MyChart portal, accessible via CentraCare’s patient resources.

History and Community Roots

Rice Memorial Hospital was founded in 1937 during the Great Depression, established through the Cushman Rice legacy and federal Public Works Administration funding.

Over nearly nine decades, the hospital grew from a community facility into a multi-county referral center serving the diverse populations of southwest and west-central Minnesota. The Cushman Rice family’s philanthropic contribution shaped the hospital’s identity as a community-rooted institution, and that orientation persists today in its multilingual patient services and broad specialty access.

The hospital is now operated as part of CentraCare, a large Minnesota-based nonprofit health system headquartered in St. Cloud. The Carris Health name reflects the regional partnership that preceded the CentraCare integration, and the hospital continues to carry both identifiers in many directories and insurance networks. The facility has undergone multiple renovations and expansions to modernize its infrastructure and expand its specialty capabilities.

Medical Services and Specialties

Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital offers access to more than 40 specialty services across 39 clinical areas, supported by 209 practicing physicians.

Core service lines at the hospital include surgery, anesthesiology, imaging and radiology, laboratory testing, respiratory care, wound care, hospitalist care, behavioral health, and birthing services. Specialty disciplines represented among the hospital’s physician staff include family medicine, cardiology, urology, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, diagnostic radiology, and pediatrics, among many others.

• Emergency medicine and Level III Trauma care, 24/7
• General and specialty surgery
• Diagnostic imaging and radiology
• Laboratory and pathology services
• Cardiology and heart care
• Orthopedics and joint care
• Obstetrics, gynecology, and birthing services
• Behavioral health, including inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment
• Respiratory care
• Wound care
• Hospitalist care for inpatient management
• Cancer care through the affiliated Willmar Cancer Center
• Rehabilitation services at the associated Willmar Rehabilitation Center

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, hospitals offering this range of integrated specialty services within a regional referral model improve care coordination and reduce patient travel burden, particularly in rural and semi-rural communities where distances to urban medical centers can exceed an hour.

Level III Trauma Center and Emergency Department

The Rice Memorial Hospital Emergency Department operates as a Minnesota Department of Health-designated Level III Trauma Center, staffed around the clock by board-certified emergency physicians and trauma surgeons.

Level III designation requires meeting rigorous state standards, including a 24/7 staffed emergency room, trauma surgeons and operating room teams available within 30 minutes of patient arrival, adherence to best-practice care guidelines, community injury prevention programming, and formal transfer agreements with Level I and Level II Trauma Centers for cases requiring higher-level intervention.

The ED features private exam rooms equipped for life-threatening presentations including heart attacks, strokes, and behavioral health crises. A FAA-approved helipad serviced by Life Link III air ambulance supports rapid patient transfer for cases that exceed local scope. Nursing staff hold certifications in trauma care and advanced life support. The department has also invested in ultraviolet disinfection technology, including the UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer, to eliminate hospital-acquired pathogens including C. difficile and coronavirus variants.

Behavioral Health Services

Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health provides inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment within the hospital campus, addressing a broad range of mental health conditions for adults, seniors, and young adults.

The behavioral health unit functions as a psychiatric unit within a general hospital setting. Treatment modalities include individual psychotherapy, couples and family therapy, group therapy, psychotropic medication management, activity therapy, diet and exercise counseling, and suicide prevention services. The unit accepts Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, military insurance including TRICARE, and a range of state-funded payment sources.

Conditions treated include anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD. Specialized programming accommodates the distinct clinical needs of different age and demographic groups. The behavioral health phone number is (320) 235-4390. According to SAMHSA, integrated behavioral health within general hospital settings improves access to mental health care for patients who may otherwise avoid standalone psychiatric facilities.

Birthing Services

Rice Memorial Hospital holds a birthing designation and operates a dedicated birthing center serving expectant mothers across southwest Minnesota.

The hospital carries a Birthing-Willmar designation and is listed as a participating birthing location within the CentraCare system. Obstetrics and gynecology providers affiliated with the hospital include practitioners from the Willmar Clinic and Willmar Lakeland Clinic, ensuring continuity of prenatal and postnatal care across clinic and hospital settings. Sleep rooms for family members are available onsite at a rate of $30 per night, supporting families during extended hospital stays including labor and delivery.

Patient Resources and Visitor Information

Rice Memorial Hospital provides comprehensive patient support services, including multilingual translation, chaplaincy, financial assistance, and a fully equipped patient cafeteria.

The hospital operates without posted visiting hours, deferring instead to patient preference and nursing unit guidance. Main entrance access runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with after-hours entry through the Emergency Entrance. Visitor parking is available at the front of the hospital, with dedicated maps for behavioral health, dental clinic, and cancer center zones.

MyChart provides online access to medical records, appointment scheduling, and bill payment for CentraCare patients. Financial assistance programs are available for qualifying patients, with pricing transparency published in compliance with federal hospital pricing requirements. Billing inquiries can be routed through the CentraCare patient resources portal.

Related Facilities and Network Access

Patients at Rice Memorial Hospital benefit from connection to the broader CentraCare network, which spans St. Cloud, Monticello, Benson, Paynesville, and multiple satellite clinics. On the Willmar campus itself, related locations include the Willmar Cancer Center, Willmar Rehabilitation Center, Willmar Surgery Center, Willmar Sleep Center, and multiple specialty and family medicine clinics.

For patients requiring facilities with comparable community hospital services, Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center in Illinois represents another rural Critical Access Hospital model integrating into a larger system. Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler, Missouri similarly demonstrates the DNV-accredited rural acute care model that shares attributes with Rice Memorial’s community-referral function.

The 24/7 CentraCare Nurse Line at 320-200-3200 provides after-hours clinical guidance for patients uncertain whether to seek emergency or clinic-based care, reducing unnecessary emergency department visits and improving triage across the regional network.