First Nurse

First Nurse is a free health-information, community service provided by Mary Greeley Medical Center, Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center and McFarland Clinic. Our service allows you to speak with a specially trained registered nurse and our staff offers health information and expert advice on medical problems. Through our services we can help you determine whether or not to see a physician or visit an emergency room.

The First Nurse phone line is staffed by nurses with backgrounds in a variety of medical specialties, including general medicine, surgery, obstetrics, psychiatry, and home health. Our staff, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, can be reached by phone at (515) 239-6877 in Ames, (641) 754-6877 in Marshalltown, or toll-free at (800) 524-6877 around Iowa. Calls are answered in the order which they are received.

First Nurse does not replace 911 in case of emergency.

The First Nurse Station offers the following services:

Phone Lines: We answer questions about medical concerns over the phone.
Health Information Library: Our library contains information on a wide variety of medical topics, which you can receive over the phone or through the mail.