Rita Plourde thanks community members for their words of tribute and large turn-out at the Clinic's 40th anniversary event in June.  Photo:  Boreal Community Media.

From Boreal Community Media - July 8, 2019

More than $5,000 in combined donations were made by individual community members in honor of Sawtooth Mountain Clinic's 40th Anniversary and retiring CEO Rita Plourde.  

The Sawtooth Mountain Clinic staff and board of directors had asked that community members support the Clinic's Giving Tree program to recognize Plourde's contributions on her retirement.  The Giving Tree program exists for Clinic care-givers to give funds to patients requiring out of town medical treatment to defray expenses for gasoline, lodging and other related expenses.

Rita Plourde announced her retirement from Sawtooth Mountain Clinic earlier in 2019.  She was recently recognized with the “Hero Award’ at the Minnesota Rural Health annual conference from the Minnesota Department of Health.  The Clinic announced her successor at CEO as Kate Surbaugh last month.

Interested community members can still make donations to the Clinic's Giving Tree in honor of Ms. Plourde's 38 years of service to the community.  Checks should be made payable to Sawtooth Mountain Clinic with "The Giving Tree" referenced.  Checks can be dropped off at the Clinic front desk or mailed to:

Attn: Sue Nordman
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic
513 5th Ave West
Grand Marais, MN 55604