SPEARFISH - Queen City Medical Center and Spearfish Surgery Center have completed their merger into Regional Health Physicians, parent company Regional Health announced.

Regional Health includes Regional Hospitals, Regional Medical Clinics, Regional Senior Care, Regional Cancer Care Institute, Regional Rehabilitation Institute, and Regional Behavioral Health Center, all serving communities in western South Dakota.

With this merger, residents in western South Dakota, southeastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, and northwestern Nebraska can now seek medical care at a Regional Health Physicians facility in more than 14 locations throughout western South Dakota, officials said.

"We are excited to add such a high quality group of physicians to our organization. We believe that together we are in a prime position to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare to all of the communities we serve," said Drew Erra, executive director of Regional Health Physicians.

Regional Health and the Spearfish facilities, which are served by 17 physicians, announced earlier this year they had signed a letter of intent to merge. Last week they completed that merger.

With the addition of newly named Queen City Regional Medical Clinic and Spearfish Regional Surgery Center, the network of Regional Medical Clinics provides care in nine communities with more than 70 primary care and specialty physicians.

"The merger with Regional Health Physicians is an excellent fit for all of us here at Queen City," said Dr. David C. Walker, who specializes in internal medicine. "We can continue to expand on our common goal to provide quality medical care and enhance the services we offer our patients in the northern hills."

"Regional Health Physicians warmly welcomes the physicians and staff of Queen City Regional Medical Clinic and Spearfish Regional Surgery Center, as we join together to improve the scope and quality of health care services in the Black Hills," said Dr. James Holloway, who specializes in internal medicine at Lead-Deadwood Regional Medical Clinic, and serves as the Chairman of the Regional Health Physicians Management Committee, the governing body of the physician group.