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"I'm moving to the next phase of my life," she explained.

Dr. Heidi Malling is leaving the Paynesville Area Health Care System after four years to be closer to her Pine River home since she soon will adopt two boys from Guatamala.

Malling, a former nurse from Aitkin, has practiced medicine at PAHCS for four years. She primarily worked in the Belgrade Area Medical Clinic, one of four satellite clinics operated by PAHCS. A member of the Paynesville Medical Group, the local doctors who partner with PAHCS. She also served as the medical director for the Paynesville Area Ambulance for the past two years and worked in the Paynesville Area Medical Clinic and in the emergency room at the Paynesville Area Hospital on an on-call basis.

During her time at PAHCS, Malling maintained a working ranch in Pine River, raising beef cattle, horses, dogs, and a few donkeys. She commuted to Belgrade, where she kept an apartment.

Malling is sad to be leaving, but the 120-mile commute would be unrealistic with children. One week this year, Malling spent more than 40 hours on the road, she said. She believes that commute time will be better spent with her boys.

Still, she has mixed feelings about leaving the area where she has made friends and formed relationships with her patients. "I'll miss the people. My patients have been just great," she said. "But I'm excited about the kids," she added.

Malling is adopting five-month-old Noah and 16-month-old Levi from an orphanage in Guatamala. Only a few formalities remain before their adoption becomes final, she said. Soon, she expects to get a phone call to tell her it's time to pick up her sons in Guatamala.

In the meantime, Malling will say goodbye to her patients and start a new job at a satellite clinic of the Brainerd Medical Center, where her duties will be much like her duties at PAHCS. She won't be delivering babies, though, which is one part of the job she will miss.

The Paynesville Area Health Care System currently is recruiting two new doctors, one for its clinic in Belgrade and one for its clinic in Richmond.