St. Joseph's Medical Center-Hackensack Clinic is open for appointments starting Monday, Oct. 6, according to Lila Moen, clinic director.

Prior to the clinic's opening, Hackensack residents could drive around 12 miles to Walker or 17 miles to Pine River to reach a clinic.

The soon-to-open Hackensack Clinic shares a facility with Hackensack Senior Class on Third Street between Whipple and Lake avenues.

Hackensack Senior Class, a 37-unit assisted living facility for senior citizens, opened in March 2007 and included space for a possible clinic.

And now the clinic has become a reality.

Hackensack Clinic joins St. Joseph's Medical Center's (SJMC) other clinics in Pine River, Pequot Lakes, Crosslake, Pillager and Pierz.

The clinic in Hackensack is a full service clinic consisting of four exam rooms, a procedure room; lab and radiology rooms; a centrally located nurses station; physician's office; bathrooms, break room for staff; and storage, according to Moen.

The clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed on Holidays.

Currently Nurse Practitioner Ellen Manthe will staff the clinic during regular hours. A licensed practical nurse and another staff person will join Manthe at the clinic.

"We are still negotiating to get a physician there at least one day a week," Moen said.

Manthe is originally from the Twin Cities area but has lived in the Brainerd area since the late 1970s. She's been a nurse practitioner for eight years.

"I have a long history with St. Joe's," Manthe said. She worked for SJMC from 1978 to 2000 in different capacities as a nurse. Then she worked as a nurse practitioner in the Veterans' Administration Health System.

An open house for the Hackensack Clinic will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3. An earlier open house was also held. "I had a chance to meet a lot of people from the area who came over to check out the clinic; it was great," Manthe said.

"It's a great addition to the community and we're really glad its here," according to Denny Wickham, Hackensack Chamber of Commerce Board President.

Although the Chamber was very supportive of getting a clinic in the community, the real advocates arose out of the community.

The Pines Area Medical Development Association's (PAMDA) mission was formed to promote and develop a medical facility in Hackensack and to raise funds to assist SJMC to maintain a facility there.

Dawn Peterson, PAMDA president, said that their 501c3 non-profit formed to receive funds from fundraising for the clinic.

PAMDA has agreed to pay SJMC's first year of operating expenses for the clinic as well committing to pay for clinic's lease for 10 years. The goal is $500,000, according to Peterson, and $50,000 has been raised so far.

"Our goals are to keep advertising (and) raising funds. We'll be talking to businesses, community organizations, lake associations ... anybody that will listen to us," Peterson said.

Check donations to PAMDA can be mailed to P.O. Box 460, Hackensack, MN, 56452, or dropped off at First National Bank of Walker-Hackensack Branch, Second Street and Whipple Avenue.

"St. Joe's is committed and the community is committed," Moen said regarding the Hackensack Clinic.

Open House Planned

An open house for the Hackensack Clinic will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, October 3