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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa Regional Health Center has welcomed a new chaplain to the organization.

Pastor Gary Brooks, who is no stranger to Ottumwa, has a wealth of experience in counseling family and friends in a hospital setting. Before returning to Ottumwa, Brooks was a pastor in Oklahoma and served in the same capacity.

Pastor Brooks told KTVO on Thursday that he is very excited to be joining the team at Ottumwa Regional Health Center; and ready to help the community with their spiritual needs.

“It is a new day here at Ottumwa Regional and I enjoy being apart of that new day because we are also going to, in this chapel, start a church service,” said Brooks. “I would also like to have communion and maybe a prayer service, maybe every other week. I am also going to have a bible study program over at Pennsylvania Place. So, We are going to be busy taking care of the spiritual needs.”

Pastor Brooks added that the current chapel will be expanded in the future, and that the stained glass doors that are currently being stored in the chapel will be apart of the new space.