Coming home to care—A vision for rural medicine

Adam Willmann, FACHE, ’05, ’07, was born at Goodall Witcher Hospital in Clifton, Texas, and raised in the Bosque County community. After graduating from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science, a minor in business administration and a master’s degree in health administration, Willmann was determined to leave his rural roots behind him. Five years later, he found his way home as the hospital’s president and chief executive officer. 

“My first two positions after graduation were in rural communities,” Willmann said. “I realized how much I love the feeling of a small town, where it may take 45 minutes to pick up a gallon of milk at the grocery store because everyone visits in the aisles.” 

When Willmann’s predecessor, Clarence Fields, asked him about possibly taking over as president after he retired in 2012, he thought it would be a good career move and a chance to return home. 

“Growing up in Clifton, everything I thought I hated about small town living is what I love about it today,” Willmann said. “In our community, either you know everyone or they know you. Our lives and fortunes are intertwined and rooted in mutual care and concern.”  

In his role, Willmann aims to expand local access to high-quality, sustainable health care for future generations and advance rural medicine through education, leadership and investment.  

Education

When Curtis Donaldson ’81 was named director of the Rural Medicine Program at the Texas A&M Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, he did not need to look far to expand the program’s reach.  

“Curtis and I are both Aggies. He was born at Goodall Witcher and his sister was my fourth-grade teacher,” Willmann said. “Several of our physicians also graduated from Texas A&M, so we worked together to create opportunities for medical students.” 

In partnership with the Vashisht College of Medicine, Goodall Witcher educates future doctors through clinical rotations in rural medicine at the hospital, in clinics and in nursing homes.  

“Rural medicine is relationship-based, and it differs from urban medicine in patient access, scope of practice and resource availability,” Willmann said. “Our goal is to help students understand the depth and breadth of rural medicine and the impact that providing quality health care has on patients, their families and the community. We hope that some of the students may want to practice rural medicine in the future.”  

Students gain invaluable experience working in rural health care, even if their practice goals lead them in another direction, according to Vivian Stanfield, MD, a family medicine and obstetrics physician at Goodall Witcher and a preceptor for the college.  

“Rural physicians must be true generalists, managing a wider range of conditions without having immediate subspecialty back-up,” Stanfield said. “This work demands resourcefulness and confidence in practice that may not be called upon as much as in the more specialized, resource-rich environment of urban health care. For many students, this is a transformational experience.”  

Caleb Haeussler ’24, MD, the first Aggie to do a clinical rotation at Goodall Witcher, had such an experience. 

“One of my patients had severe low back pain that he thought was sciatica,” Haeussler said. “Unfortunately, it was terminal cancer. My mind raced to the next steps—chemotherapy, surgery and transferring him to a hospital where a specialist could treat him. My preceptor asked what was most important to our patient. He said he was not interested in fighting cancer but was worried about how to tell his family. My preceptor spent the next 45 minutes discussing how he might tell his family and what information they would need. The experience taught me that I am a doctor who treats patients, not diseases.”  

Haeussler said he was inspired by the preceptors with whom he worked at Goodall Witcher.  

“What stood out was how comfortable they were with whatever came up. It did not matter if it was something they had not seen before. They were ready to figure out the best treatment and care for the patient. I try to have that same mindset,” he said. 

Leadership

Rural hospitals face daunting challenges including workforce shortages, financial instability and rising operational costs. Stable funding sources can help mitigate these challenges. 

In 2017, Willmann led a successful community effort to establish the Bosque County Hospital District, a governmental entity created by voters to provide tax revenue to fund health care delivery through Goodall Witcher Healthcare.  

“It took a year to file the legal documents to create the district, get it on the ballot and to educate our community on why it was necessary,” Willmann said. “I led 12 town hall meetings and met with community members in homes to answer their questions. I was a hospital administrator by day and a politician by night.”  

Established in 2018, the hospital district raised approximately $2.77 million in 2024 to fund health care in Bosque County. 

Investment

“The district has strengthened the hospital’s financial position, and we are able to invest in medical services the community wants and needs,” Willmann said. “We are updating our facilities, hiring specialists and installing new technologies, including a state-of-the-art MRI.” 

These investments are paying off in expanded patient care, with double digit growth in imaging, laboratory, emergency department and clinic services from 2022 to 2024. The hospital also saw 113% growth in obstetric services during that same time. Much of this success is attributed to Willmann. 

“Adam exemplifies our Aggie Core Values in every way,” said Lance Robinson ’17, MD, a board-certified family physician who practices obstetrics at Goodall-Witcher and serves as a preceptor for the college. “He works tirelessly to ensure that our hospital is well staffed, has the right equipment and best facilities so doctors, nurses and other staff can focus on providing the best health care possible for our patients, today and in the future.”