Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) will host a community-wide open house on June 24th, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. All are invited to attend this family friendly gathering to celebrate Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s newest physician, Dr. Catherine Hansen and CEO Rita Plourde’s nearly 40 years of leadership.
Dr. Catherine Hansen joined Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in October, 2018. She has been an excellent addition to the clinic’s team of providers.
Rita Plourde has been Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s CEO and director for 38 years. “When I came here, I planned to stay only a few years. It has been an immense pleasure serving my community for so much longer,” Plourde said. SMC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a model of healthcare that Plourde believes fits Cook County perfectly. “We accept all patients, regardless of their financial ability to pay,” Plourde said. “Everyone deserves quality health care–our community is fortunate to have a model of care that is founded on that very notion.”
But providing quality healthcare isn’t only about seeing a doctor when you’re sick. Quality healthcare addresses the whole person, not just diagnoses, and prioritizes walking together through life with each and every patient. This kind of care goes beyond what insurance alone can cover and often requires a ‘grassroots’ approach. To help address these types of needs, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic created a Giving Tree.
If you’ve been in the SMC waiting room over the last few years, you’ve likely seen the Giving Tree. Any money gifted through the Giving Tree purchases gas cards and grocery store certificates for SMC’s providers to allocate to patient’s in need. “If I have a patient who can’t afford their blood pressure medication, I can give them a grocery card so their food bill can go towards their prescription,” Dr. Milan Schmidt said.
“The Giving Tree is the perfect symbol for Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s vision of health care for Cook County. A tree’s branches are numerous and varied and yet, they share one trunk, one root. Healthcare needs looks different for every person; our desire to thrive is universal.” Plourde said.
The North Shore Health Care Foundation recently gifted the Giving Tree with a generous donation of $2000. “Their kind donation will ensure that this kind of aid can continue,” Plourde said. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic will recognize the efforts of The North Shore Health Care Foundation at the upcoming Open House.
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