It’s taken almost two years, but the days of having no medical care available in Langley are nearly over.

Dr. Annastasia Kovscek is in the process of opening a family practice in the space formerly occupied by Quilting by the Sea in Langley Village. There is still a lot do, particularly a renovation of the space, but she is hoping to begin receiving patients by the end of the year.

And for a healer who describes herself as a “family doc,” that moment can’t come soon enough.

“I think it’s always been my dream to be the village doctor,” Kovscek said.

The Pennsylvania-born, 36-year-old moved with her husband, Joseph Sendek, to their Third Street home in April of 2011. But while they are new to the area, they are regular peas in the pod that is Langley.

Joseph is a down-to-earth artist who specializes in pottery and is opening a studio in their backyard. Kovscek is an easy-to-smile doctor who describes her style of care as a mix between traditional Western medicine and alternative healing.

The MD behind her name and past experience, which ranges from time in emergency rooms to her present job in an urgent care facility in Lynnwood, enables her to sew-up the injured with the best of them.

But, with a personal philosophy of “less medicine is better,” a person who needs more selenium, for example, will more likely be prescribed four Brazil nuts and a handful of almonds a day than an expensive multi-vitamin.

“Medicine is not just taking a pill,” Kovscek said.

Some illnesses warrant more modern techniques and approaches, but healthy living often equals healthy constitutions. She tends to practice what she preaches. A regular juicer, she often whips herself up a mix of veggies and fruits from her home garden.

A blend of kale, kiwi, lemons and a dash of chocolate mint is one of her favorite blends, but it’s not a recipe for the faint of heart. A South Whidbey Record reporter fortunate enough to sample the beverage can attest to that.

“Everyone should drink more kale,” she laughed.

Kovscek moved to Washington in 2009 and ran a family practice out of the Seattle Healing Arts Center for several years. That type of medicine, which shepherds over people from birth to old age, is something she’s eager to get back to.

With family care, you’re caring for whole families, treating everything from skinned knees to long-term illnesses. Building those relationships is not only gratifying but it’s a real honor, she said.

“I’m really, really excited to be here,” Kovscek said.

She’s not the only one. Langley Mayor Larry Kwarsick said one of his priorities since taking office in January has been to halt an “erosion of services” in Langley and getting a doctor back in to town is a big step in the right direction.

The town’s old doctor’s office is now a veterinarian clinic.

Kwarsick said Kovscek will fill an important gap in not just the city but all of South Whidbey that’s existed since Whidbey General Hospital’s closure of the Langley Clinic in October 2010.

“I think this is great news for the city and the community,” Kwarsick said.

Business leaders are also excited to see a return of medical services. Marc Esterly, executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce, said it’s hard to know exactly what kind of financial impact a doctor’s office will have on Langley’s overall economy, but it sure won’t hurt.

South Whidbey residents who don’t want to travel off island or to Clinton or Freeland for a doctor’s visit can now come to Langley. The office will also add to the city’s diversity of existing services and that’s a surefire way of making Langley more attractive to new residents.

“This is a well needed addition for the town,” Esterly said.

Kovscek is happy to fill the niche. Describing Langley as an “alive” community to which she felt an instant connection, Kovscek said she plans to make the city her permanent home.

“This is where I feel completely at ease,” she said. “It feels like home.”