When Dr. Jacob Staudt joins the Family Medicine team at Mitchell County Regional Health Center this month, he will be bringing his passion for rural healthcare closer to home.
Raised in Forest City, Staudt looks forward to returning to north-central Iowa to care for the people and communities that helped shape him. “What stands out about Mitchell County is the strong sense of community and the shared commitment to supporting one another,” he said. “Every event and gathering I’ve attended has been filled with energy and excitement, and everyone has been genuinely welcoming and kind to my family and me.”
Having spent his school-age years in Forest City, he looks forward to providing the same kinds of opportunities he had for his children. His wife, Molly, also grew up in Forest City. A former Spanish teacher, she now focuses on caring for their home and their two sons. Colson, a high-energy five-year-old who loves cars, will start kindergarten this month. His younger brother, Kellen, at 18 months old, wants to do everything his big brother does.
Staudt’s passion for science and his desire to help others came together early in life, inspiring an interest in medicine while he was still in elementary school. But it was a college medical mission trip to Tanzania with rural physicians from northwest Iowa that cemented his decision to enter the medical field. The level of care provided there encompassed both surgery and training local medical residents. Observing doctors bringing care to people “who typically have to walk miles” to reach it taught him that access to quality medical care can be life-changing for patients.
That experience continues to shape his approach to patient care today.
Staudt believes the best health care is built on collaboration. He values working alongside colleagues with different experiences, perspectives, and approaches, recognizing that everyone brings something valuable to the team.
One of the aspects he enjoys most about family medicine is the opportunity to care for patients across multiple settings, from the clinic to the hospital and emergency department. That continuity allows him to build lasting relationships and remain a trusted partner throughout a patient’s healthcare journey. “It is hard to replace the importance of a good doctor-patient relationship in all of these settings,” he said.
The Benjamin Franklin quote, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” serves as a guiding principle in Staudt’s practice. “This is especially true in family medicine when we focus on routine screenings, patient education, and early lifestyle changes,” Staudt said. “These screenings and lifestyle changes help limit disease progression and even can prevent some diseases if we make these changes early in life.”
Staudt earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University and recently completed his residency at MercyOne Genesis in Davenport. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Buena Vista University.
As he begins his career at MCRHC, Staudt looks forward to building relationships with patients and families while helping strengthen the health of the communities he serves.
