Short Version

Forty years ago, two doctors responded to pleas of the Markle, Indiana community for the need of practicing physicians for the area and settled themselves near the Huntington and Wells County line for what was to become a generation of compassionate and comprehensive medical care.

Today, that seemingly small beginning in the town of Markle has grown to become a unit of medical care known now as Markle Medical Center with offices in Markle, Bluffton, and Warren, Indiana. Currently there are 12 providers and a social worker/therapist.

Long Version

Once upon a time in 1963, Markle's only medical physician, Dr. Halden Woods, died in an automobile accident. The nearest medical facilities available to the citizenry were in Bluffton, Huntington, or Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In the Fall of 1963 the Markle community, through the efforts of its citizenry and through fund-raising efforts, realized a total of $4,000 to help toward the purchase of the late Dr. Woods' office and a furniture retail store beside it on Markle's downtown thoroughfare.

Dr. Gerald Miller was the first to arrive in Markle in February 1964 and was joined on July of that year by Dr. LeRoy Kinzer. The two doctors had been in medical residency together at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.

Recognizing the need for a surgeon, the Markle Medical Center (Drs. Miller & Kinzer) persuaded a physician/surgeon, Dr. Victor Binkley, then in residency surgery in Honolulu, Hawaii, to become part of the practice in 1970. As the Markle Medical Center's practice expanded, it became necessary to establish (in 1973) an office in Bluffton, Indiana. A former nurses' residence on West Spring Street adjacent to the then-named Wells County Hospital was acquired and converted into a medical office from which the physicians could see patients in Bluffton and the surrounding area. This also gave them a doctor at the hospital during the day.

It was during this period of time that the Wells Community Hospital (previously Wells County Hospital) became the primary hospital for the Markle Medical Center physicians. Because most of their time was used providing health care, giving anesthetics, delivering babies, and performing surgeries in the Wells County area, the doctors gave up their use of medical facilities at the Fort Wayne and Huntington hospitals and designated Wells Community Hospital as their primary hospital.

With the opening of the second office in Bluffton, another physician, Dr. David Brown, then in Pennsylvania, joined the practice in 1973. A personal and family counselor, Stephen Binkley, became a part of the health care staff also that same year.

Meanwhile, in Markle, the office had become too small for the growth experienced by the physicians. In April of 1975, a 6,000 square-foot all modern and well-equipped structure was opened along U.S. 224 on the north side of Markle. Further, to keep up with the health care concerns in Bluffton and all of Wells County, Wells Community Hospital in mid-1975, opened bids for construction of a two-story structure to be designated as a physician's office building located at the north side and attached to the hospital. Markle Medical Center's physicians in 1976 began using office space on the first floor of the new doctor's building. That area became too small to accomodate the medical care growth and staff additions. The result was that a further expansion was required. In 1986 when the second floor of the doctor's building was finished and equipped, the Markle Medical Center physicians move to that area.

Currently our providers include Dr. David Brown (1973), Dr. Marcelo Gavilanez (1980), Dr. Deborah Miller (1986), Dr. Lloyd Williams (1991), Juanita Bryan, PA-C (1994), Dr. Bernie Wiebe (1995), Lisa Yarger, Family Nurse Practitioner (1997), Wendy Walmsley, Family Nurse Practitioner (1998), Dr. Tamara Dunmoyer (2002), Ann Flaningam, Psychotherapist/Social Worker (2002), Dr. Jeremy Wilson (2004), Judy Ripperger, PA-C (2007) and Tamara Troutt, PA-C (2008).

The mission statement of Markle Medical Center has remained unchanged over 40+ years. The mission statement in part reads, "to help others and to show Christ's love through our service." From the beginning, the doctors have taken their mission to communities beyond the Huntington and Wells Counties. There is a medical/surgical clinic in Haiti. It is considered, by our providers, a major Christian-supported medical assistance program. Dr. Victor Binkley now is giving 50% of his time to serving the medical needs in Haiti. Other providers in our practice periodically go on mission trips in and outside the United States.

Several years ago we discussed changing the name of Markle Medical Center since there are three offices and two counties served. However, many comments were made that the name has come to mean something more than just a place. The name now indicates integrity, compassion, and quality medical care.