St. Mary's Health Clinic in Shakopee has received a $25,000 donation from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community to help the clinic provide free health care for low-income patients without insurance or medical assistance.

The Shakopee clinic is one of nine free health clinics run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet of the St. Paul Province. The clinics provide free services including patient visits to the clinic, lab tests, X-rays, diagnostic tests, and most medications. Specialty referrals are also available without charge.

The Shakopee clinic serves a largely Hispanic population — more than 85 percent of the patients at the Shakopee clinic do not speak English. The Prior Lake tribe gave the clinic $25,000 in 2003 and $35,000 in 2005.

Said tribal Chairman Stanley Crooks in a news release: "We believe everyone should have access to health care. We are happy to be able to help."

Ralph Scorpio, director of development for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, said past donations helped St. Mary's treat 57 percent more patients in 2005 than in 2004.

The Shakopee site is the busiest of the 11 clinics, he said. The weekly clinic was in operation 100 times last year and saw a total of 1,132 patient visits, averaging 11.3 patients per session. The grant helped the clinic to now hold two clinic sessions per week and to see the additional patients who need health care.