Quilcene’s South County Medical Clinic, the first of Jefferson Healthcare’s community primary care clinics, marks its 20th anniversary on Jan. 1, 2016.

What began as a grassroots effort has become an enduring institution.

“The clinic is invaluable. I can’t imagine how many people would not get health care if they didn’t have that clinic,” said Anne Ricker, an early supporter of the clinic. “Many people wouldn’t have access if it weren’t for that clinic. It’s a huge success.”

The family practice and women’s health clinic, with a focus on integrated medicine, offers patients complete physical examinations (including lab work), preventive care, diagnosis and treatment of most nonsurgical illnesses. The clinic also offers an anti-coagulation clinic, a social worker and diabetes education.

“We were very successful the day we opened our doors, and that hasn’t changed in 20 years,” said family nurse practitioner Merrily Mount, ARNP, MSN, the clinic’s primary care provider and a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. “The last 20 years have been very consistent, and they will continue to be. The clinic is structured so patients receive the same standard of care as they would get in Boston, or Seattle, or Port Townsend.”

There are slots for 12 patients a day at the clinic in downtown Quilcene, on U.S. Highway 101.

“The clinic survives because of the community,” Mount said. “We have to work with what we have, and what we have is a great community.”

“Part of the clinic’s success in emergency medicine is the rapid response of the fire department,” said Mount. “We can call 911, and they are here in two minutes. These guys are ready and moving, and they are well-trained and deliver high-quality care.”

Mount credits community support by the local chamber of commerce, individuals and Vic Dirksen, a now-retired Jefferson Healthcare administrator, in the clinic’s start-up.

“Joe [Baisch] and I called Vic Dirksen and told him we would help pass the hospital bond in South County if he would give us the clinic,” recalled Ricker. “We worked our tails off, it passed, and not much happened, so we called and said we had to meet with him. We said we were holding his feet to the fire. He said, ‘You don’t have to. I agree,’ and that’s where it started. He didn’t put up that much of a fight. I think he wanted it all along.”

Mount had experience setting up clinics in the U.S. Public Health Service, for which her assignment was to start community clinics, ensure they were successful in two years, and then move to the next one.

“A lot of people participated,” recalled Ricker. “Wally [Pederson] offered the [office building space] for free, and that was huge.”

The clinic’s initial start-up budget was $10,000, of which $8,000 was used for an EKG machine that could hook up to the hospital, said Mount.

“We scoured the hospital, scavenging for a phone system, tables, office furniture, whatever we could find,” she recalled. “Everything in the clinic is intentional, from the magazines in the waiting room to the pictures on the exam room wall, for the benefit of the patient, and that’s what it’s all about.

“I am honored to be here,” said Mount. “I love what I do, and I enjoy it. It’s fun, and we’re dealing with serious stuff. I want people to know they will be taken care of, that they’re safe. I don’t want to use the word, but I love all my patients, each and every one. I care deeply about them and their lives, and I want the best for them.”

The community committee is working on plans for a suitable public celebration.