By JIMMY LAWTON

LISBON -- Lisbon Health Center is now open Monday through Thursday and is accepting new patients.

Physician assistant and Lisbon native Alesha Pederson will staff the facility.

Officials at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdesnburg were hopeful to open the Lisbon Health Center this summer, but plans were temporarily delayed to due to paperwork issues with Department of Health.

Located at the Al Winney Medical Building, County Route 10 in the hamlet, the clinic has been a mainstay in the town for decades. It was announced in June that the clinic would shut down after Nurse Practitioner Ernie Couglar, who was running the clinic, said the business was unable to get adequate reimbursements from insurance companies due to its lack of bargaining power.

Pederson, formerly Alesha Akins, is a Lisbon native and graduate of the local school district.

Existing patients of the clinic will continue to have their records on file, but have the option to transfer them to another provider if they choose.

The clinic will be open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pederson has been serving as the provider at the Madrid Health Center. With her move to the Lisbon Health Center, Nurse Practitioner Nikita Goliber has taken over the practice in Madrid.

The Madrid Health Center hours will remain the same.

The Lisbon clinic was dedicated to Alan J. Winney who served as the provider there from 1977 to 2013. Shea said CHMC intended to honor his legacy.