For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:
April Bowen, 612-262-5217

Allina Medical Clinic Breaks Ground on New Blaine Clinic

BLAINE, MINN 09/26/2008--Blaine city officials including Mayor Tom Ryan joined Allina executives and doctors at groundbreaking ceremonies Wednesday for a new Allina Medical Clinic in Blaine. The new clinic is under construction and scheduled to open in April next year at 10705 Town Square Drive, NE, in the heart of Blaine.

The facility will comprise some 10,000 square feet and include an on-site laboratory and electronic medical records. The clinic will include three family medicine physicians, one pediatrician and a doctoral level licensed psychologist to serve the community’s medical needs.  Plans also include 24/7 appointment scheduling by phone or Internet.

“This investment in our city is great,” said Mayor Ryan. “Allina is an outstanding healthcare organization with their excellent Unity Hospital nearby, so we’re very happy to have Allina Medical Clinic in our city.”

According to Tom Holets, president of Allina Medical Clinic, the new Blaine clinic is designed to create a community centered delivery model that gives local residents access to providers and services in their community. “We wanted to build a clinic locally that supported an environment conducive to the growth and expansion of the areas community needs.” he says. “We wouldn’t have been able to complete this project without the support and leadership of the community.”

“The new Blaine clinic will work closely with Unity Hospital,” according to Unity Hospital president Rickie Ressler. “We’ve just opened our new emergency room at Unity and will soon break ground on a new cancer center so we’re fully committed to this region and pleased to be able to work with Allina Medical Clinic doctors who will be here in Blaine next spring.”

About Allina Medical Clinic

Allina Medical Clinic is a not-for-profit system of 45 clinics providing care throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina Medical Clinic is part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics which owns and operates 11 hospitals, more than 90 clinics and specialty care centers, and specialty medical services that provide hospice care, oxygen and home medical equipment, pharmacies, and emergency medical transportation services. Allina Hospitals & Clinics and the latest health information can be found online at www.allina.com.

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From left to right: Mark Scheible, MD, Family Medicine, Jennifer Auge, MD, Family Medicine, April Bowen, Allina Medical Clinic District Director, Phil Hoversten, MD, MPH, Allina Medical Clinic District Medical Director, Cheryl Hermann, VP Allina Medical Clinic Operations, Bruce McCarthy, MD, Allina Medical Clinic Chief Medical Director, Rickie Ressler, president Unity Hospital, Lisa Anderson, V.P. Finance, Unity Hospital, Julie Lapensky, VP Nursing and Patient Care, Unity Hospital, John Stoltenberg, MD, VP Medical Affairs, Unity Hospital.		Blaine Mayor Tom Ryan delivers remarks at Allina Medical Clinic Blaine ground breaking ceremony. Bruce McCarthy, MD, Allina Medical Clinic Chief Medical Director, left, and Rickie Ressler, president Unity Hospital, right, look on.