Loan Helps Clinic Expand
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| Anne Kelly |
| 7/15/2009 |
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| Bismarck has top notch hospitals and multiple clinics for the thousands of people who live in the area. Those who live many miles away have healthcare needs, too. They often rely on rural clinics. Some of those have closed over the years, while others are thriving. One such clinic is in Washburn, where some financial assistance has helped the clinic expand. "From this door way on we added on three exam rooms, two offices, and then we`ve also added on a physical therapy room," says Julie Bentz, a receptionist at the St. Alexius Washburn Family Clinic. Bentz has worked for the clinic for the past four years. She`s been with the clinic as it has relocated and added on to its new building, doubling both the clinic size and the number of patients it can handle. The clinic was able to expand in 2006 thanks to a $200,000 loan from McLean Electric, which received the money through a USDA rural economic development grant meant specifically to help out the community. "How this works then, McLean Electric actually gets the grant and then we give it to a worthy cause, which is the clinic and then they will pay us back over time and then we get to reuse this for other community or economic development projects in the community," says Martin Dahl, the general manager of McLean Electric. McLean Electric handed over the $200,000 loan to St. Alexius today to make the transaction official, but the Washburn Family Clinic says the money was spent long ago, not only on the building additions it has made so it can treat more patients. But also to kick off the clinics electronic record keeping system... "We`re in the process of doing a variety of things with both our x-ray and our lab in terms of having it done automatically from the equipment into digital format and then being able to be stored electronically and sent to Bismarck for reading," says Dean Mattern, an administrator of Washburn Family Clinic. The Washburn Family Clinic says it realizes the money is just a loan...but says it helps because the interest is lower than any bank would offer...and it keeps the clinic moving forward. When the clinic pays the money back, it can then be loaned to another community cause. McLean Electric says it is applying for another USDA Rural Economic Grant, which it would like to use for the St. Alexius clinic in Garrison. It would like to have $400,000 in revolving loan money. |
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