Our Story
At Good Shepherd Free Clinic, we believe everyone deserves quality healthcare, no matter their insurance status. That’s why we provide welcoming, quality care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Whether your path leads you to us today, tomorrow, or years from now, our doors are always open. Here, you’ll be treated with dignity and professionalism—because your health matters, and you’re not alone.
Our Mission & Vision
OUR MISSION is to provide qualitycare, freely given, to the underserved of the northern Black Hills.
Good Shepherd Clinic, Inc. is a major health care and resource partner within the Northern Hills. GSC deters emergency room visits, engages our communities and humbly offers life-changing service for families with a sense of hope, respect, and dignity.
Our Mission
How Do We Sustain Our Mission?
Our 501 (c) 3 and ecumenical organization continue to sustain GSC’s mission through
Grants, private and corporate donations
80 trained volunteers
20 healthcare providers & 7 dentists (rotating schedules)
12-member board of directors
8 Pharmacy Partners for discounted medications:
- Spearfish (Safeway, Walmart, Monument Health)
- Belle Fourche, (Prairie Hills Pharmacy)
- Belle Fourche (Lynns Dakotamart)
- Sturgis (County Drug)
- Deadwood (Black Hills Pharmacy)
- Lead (Vilas Pharmacy)
when we began
Serving Residents in the Northern Hills
We began as a ministry of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Good Shepherd Clinic, Inc. (GSC) opened its doors in 2009, and proudly serves our local communities through our mission of providing quality health and emergency dental care for the underserved. GSC patients often acknowledge that choosing to pay monthly necessity expenses, such as rent, utilities, food and staples, versus optional personal health care, challenges them.
On Monday nights in Spearfish and the 2nd & 4th Thursday nights in Lead, our host churches transform into welcoming and safe environments for patients to receive caring, professional and confidential clinic services, refreshments, and a path for improved health and better life conditions.
Our Board of Directors
The Board of Directors meets the fourth Friday of each month, and each director serves a three-year term. The board includes 12 members and 1 ex-officio member. By-laws state that three members must be from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.
Executive Director- Chris Davis
President- Tom DesMarais, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
Vice President- Mark Pluimer
Secretary- Dr. Echo Kopplin, PA-C
Treasurer- Amanda Johnson, First Interstate Bank
Members
Katie Heggem, Black Hills Pioneer
Erin Adkins, MSW, Monument Health
Stephen Di Gioia, SDDLR
Dale Pinkerton, RN, Monument Health
Pastor Kris Garlick, Monument Health
Dr. Lou Hogrefe, Retired MD
Sherri Engesser, Dental Hygienist
Ex-Oficio
Thomas Worsley, Monument Health Jacque Hight, Monument Health
Our History & Philosophy
We “staff” our two clinics with an ecumenical team of medical professionals and trained volunteers from our area communities. There are currently 20 medical providers plus 80 rotating scheduled volunteers trained in various capacities to meet the clinical operations and administrative needs of the Clinic. In addition, the twelve-member Board of Directors and other Leadership Team representatives uphold the highest standards of business practices to ensure sound operational and fiscal sustainability.
- 2009-GSC Medical Program includes free limited medical exams for patients with common illnesses and chronic conditions. GSC’s pharmacists educate patients on formulary-approved prescriptions paid by GSC.
- 2010-GSC Resource Center is staffed by specialists who advocate and assist patients with community referral information for safe and healthier lifestyles and distribution of basic human necessities.
- 2011-GSC Chronic Care Program allows patients to be consistently and more frequently monitored by a physician for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, asthma, etc.
- 2015-GSC Emergency Dental Program focuses on relieving pain, identifying pain source, eliminating oral infections and providing ancillary dental care when appropriate.
- 2017-GSC Immunization Program proactively addresses the growing need for health prevention and promotion through adult vaccinations (influenza, shingles, pneumonia, etc.).
- 2022-GSC licensed mental health counselors are available during Monday evening clinics. Contracted fees for select laboratory services and chest x-rays through Monument Health provided without cost to patients.
- 2023-GSC hired an Executive Director. Added inhalers for the treatment of patients with lung disease to the pharmacy formulary
- 2024-GSC opened a medical clinic in Lead.
- 2025-GSC began serving “underinsured” (people with insurance who meet our eligibility requirements) as a target audience
Email: gsfreeclinic@gmail.com
Call Anytime: 605-717-2080
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