Sawtooth Mountain Clinic

Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in Grand Marais, MN. Founded in 1979, SMC has served the health care needs of Cook County, MN and the Grand Portage Reservation for over 40 years.

We offer high-quality primary health care to every patient who walks through our doors, regardless of the ability to pay. In addition, a Sliding Fee Scale program is available to help offset the cost of care at our clinic as well as services offered by the local hospital, dentist office, and mental health providers. Our Giving Tree program is another important tool we have to remove financial barriers to care by providing financial assistance for transportation, food, and lodging related to essential medical services. These two programs ensure that every single person who needs care can access it.  

We are able to meet our community’s varied needs through community and public health services as well. From childbirth education to city planning, a healthy community is the motive for everything we do.

Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Inc. (SMC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

From our Featured Campaign:

During the COVID-19 crisis we are as committed as ever to fulfilling our mission of providing high-quality healthcare to all residents and visitors of this area, regardless of their ability to pay.

On the rural and remote north shore of Lake Superior we face unique challenges when it comes to healthcare. We are the only primary care facility serving the needs of Cook County, MN and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - an area that covers 3,400 square miles.  We are committed to fulfilling our mission of providing high-quality healthcare to all residents and visitors of this area, regardless of ability to pay.  At Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, we believe that every single person deserves excellent healthcare and our dedicated team works hard each day to ensure that our community can access the care they need.

One of the most significant tools we have to remove financial barriers and enable access to care is our Giving Tree program. For years, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s Giving Tree has been funded by generous donors who, like us, believe everyone should have access to high-quality care. Giving Tree dollars are converted into essential items like fuel cards, grocery vouchers, and medical lodging vouchers. These items enable patients to attend essential medical appointments, keep food on the table in the face of a health crisis, and travel the long distances required to access vital specialist services. In a community where it may be a 250+ mile round trip to the nearest cardiologist or surgery center, a lack of affordable transportation ceases to be a financial issue and quickly becomes a critical healthcare issue. For some families, access to affordable transportation can quite literally be matter of life and death.  

The COVID-19 crisis has taught us that there has been no time in recent history when health equity has been more important, and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s mission of removing financial barriers to care is more essential than ever. You can help by donating to Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s Giving Tree program today.