Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports that The Weiner Memorial Hospital in Marshall is announcing it's merge with a regional health care system. For the last year the board has struggled between independence and the desire to grow. Officials have decided the benefits of joining with a larger system outweigh the loss of autonomy.

For Marshall, a town of about 14,000, Weiner Memorial is the center of all things medical. It holds the lab and high-tech scanning equipment. It houses the clinic and nursing home, as well as the rehab and exercise center.