LAKEFIELD -- Sanford Clinic Lakefield's space shrunk by 400 square feet when it moved to its new location at 209 Main St. in Lakefield, but the new space is far more efficient than the clinic's previous location -- an old hospital.
"It's a little bit smaller, but the space is used better," said Jennifer Tewes, clinic director. "It was remodeled to be a clinic after the hospital left. It met our needs, but it wasn't ideal."
Physician assistant Martha Johnson, Dr. Ronald Kline and the rest of the staff at the clinic receive more than 3,300 visits every year, mostly practicing family medicine.
As the primary clinic in town, Sanford Clinic Lakefield is often the first medical resource Lakefield residents turn to when something happens.
The clinic mostly performs lab tests, minor procedures and preventative care, such as testing for strep throat, diagnosing ear infections, performing physicals, treating lacerations or X-raying jammed fingers for breaks. Once a month, the clinic offers mammograms.
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If a service isn't available at Sanford Clinic Lakefield, patients can be referred to Sanford Jackson Medical Center or a larger Sanford facility.
One new service the clinic has offered since the move is computerized radiography, used for diagnosing illnesses or broken bones. The Economic Development Association in Lakefield granted the clinic a $50,000 forgivable loan for the purchase of the radiography machine.
"This whole building is a community effort," Tewes said, explaining how the city had owned the property until it was purchased by Andy Welp, who constructed the building and leased it to Sanford Clinic Lakefield.
The City was instrumental in helping the clinic connect with Welp, and Welp allowed the clinic to pick its own design for the space.
The new building, first opened on May 5, contains three examination rooms, a laboratory room, the radiology suite and one treatment room, where medical procedures can be performed. The building also has a quiet reception and registration area, a nurse's station and a provider office.
"It's all very workable," Johnson said. "It's nice for the patients, organized -- things just kind of flow now. ... It's an enormous improvement."
The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
