by a group of volunteers led by Dr. George Sturtz and staff from local health and human service agencies including Dick Charles who would become the agency’s first Executive Director. The organization was created to fill a void in pediatric health care when a community survey found that many North Country children were not visiting a doctor between leaving the hospital at birth and entering school. Families might seek emergency care, but because of a lack of transportation and insurance coverage, their children were not receiving regular well care – including immunizations and physical assessments to catch and treat problems early.
North Country Children’s Clinic created an innovative model that provided well-care in local communities using a network of volunteers and staff from health facilities and non-profit agencies. The model was so successful that within three years, it had expanded to provide care to children across Jefferson, Lewis, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties. In 1974 the agency sought and obtained one of the first WIC programs in the nation to supplement its health care offerings with nutritious foods to promote growth and development.
North Country Children’s Clinic’s founding principal of offering all children quality healthcare, regardless of their family’s income, remains the agency’s foundation today. The Children’s Clinic provides care for working families who find health care a luxury that they struggle to afford and also sees many families who are covered by private insurance. These families choose our practice because they value the quality of our care. Their confidence is testimony to our success. We combine quality, empathy and access in an atmosphere that welcomes children and families from all walks of life. Our mission and our values make us a model for patient-centered care in the 21st century.