Meg Erickson honored for Shepherd's Hand work

Meg Erickson opened her door recently to find her friend Betty Ault armed with flowers and backed up by a posse of Beta Sigma Phi women heralding her as the 62nd First Lady of Whitefish.

"It felt like one of those Publisher's Clearing House moments," Erickson said, laughing.

Erickson, who co-founded the Shepherd's Hand Free Clinic with her physician husband, accepted the title but not the credit for the free medical treatment provided for 13 years to people without money or insurance.

"It's really been a cool thing to see the whole community pull together to serve," she said.

Her nomination and election as First Lady of Whitefish reflect the esteem Erickson has earned as executive director of the Monday evening clinics at Christ Lutheran Church.

She begins her reign as guest of honor at the traditional luncheon at noon on May 2 at the Moose Lodge in Whitefish. Erickson wants to put the spotlight on the compassion that drives the clinic volunteers and the rewards received from patients.

"There's always someone there with an inspiring story," she said. "People handle difficult situations with so much strength, courage and humor. They have so much faith that things will get better."

From the beginning, Erickson said she and her husband, Jay, felt called to serve others. They met while she was studying for a bachelor's degree in nursing and he was pursuing premed studies at St. Olaf College near Minneapolis.

The couple continued their education at the University of Minnesota, where Jay attended medical school and she studied for a master's in nursing. She went on to earn a pediatric nurse practitioner certificate at the College of St. Catherine.

During that period, a new son joined their family.

"Those were busy years," Erickson recalled.

The family moved on to Spokane where Jay served a three-year residency as a family practitioner. She worked as a nurse practitioner part time at the Rockwood Clinic, which exposed to her to a wide range of pediatric experience.

"That was a great opportunity," Erickson said.

In 1990, they chose Whitefish as their new home.

She and Jay had visited Whitefish several times for winter medical meetings and were impressed by the small town, family-friendly environment. Jay accepted an opportunity to practice with the Family Physician Clinic (now called Glacier Medical Clinic).

"We've loved it here ever since," she said.

In the first few years here, Erickson kept busy serving as a classroom mother for their children Andy and Will. She used her nursing skills by working part time for the Family Physician Clinic as well as the child wellness program at the Flathead City-County Health Department.

A skiing accident finally slowed her down long enough to realize something was amiss in her life.

Her first move was to quit her two part-time jobs with the intention of staying home to concentrate on her family. But within two weeks, the idea of the Shepherd's Hand Clinic emerged.

She said that Jay had always had a vision to start a free clinic that he shared with Connie Erickson (no relation), a member of Christ Lutheran Church.

Even though she had just stepped out of two jobs, Meg Erickson said she felt a strong calling to help found this outreach clinic of the church. On reflection, she decided divine providence was rearranging her life.

"I clearly remember talking to God," she said. "I said, 'I will follow you but I will not raise money.'"

Start-up money appeared and funding continued from private sources. Meg stepped into the role of administrator and handled logistics even though she never had any training in starting a free clinic.

The venture became a unique family opportunity to serve with her husband as well as her two sons, who became volunteers along with many others.

According to Erickson, people in the medical field and others from the community came forward in droves. Shepherd's Hand had a waiting list of people who wanted to help.

"I take no credit for that," she said. "That's God at work."

People interested in attending the May 2 Moose Lodge luncheon honoring Erickson may purchase tickets for $15 through April 29 at the Whitefish Credit Union.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.