Roxanne Jonas, MD ’00 (BSCLS ’93, BS Psychology ’95, Family Medicine Residency ’03), Northwood, ND, has been selected to receive the 2009 Outstanding UND TRIO Alumni Award.

Jonas practices at Valley Community Health Care (VCHC), a non-profit clinic that’s part of the Community Health Care Association of the Dakotas (CHAD), and was recently honored with the 2008 Outstanding Rural Health Program award by organizers of the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health.

In addition to her medical degree, Jonas earned a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science degree with a minor in chemistry in 1993 and a BS in Psychology in 1995.  In 2003, she completed family medicine residency training at the UND medical school’s program in Grand Forks and earned board certification in family medicine.

Jonas, who refers to the clinic as “a little gem on the prairie,” offers well-baby checks, yearly exams, immunizations and other services.  For the community and surrounding area, she is planning to add activities that promote children’s health, including a kids’ health fair, and a monthly talk on health topics such as osteoporosis, vitamin D deficiency and women’s issues.

The VCHC clinic is a vital part of the community and the surrounding area, according to a recent article by Kim Miller in the local newspaper, The Northwood Gleaner.  It provides discounted services based on patients’ income level and family size, with a sliding fee scale; no one is turned away.