The Board of Directors and Administration at North Shore Health would like to thank everyone who has shared their concerns about our quality of care, our commitment to the community and the sustainability of our facility. We have heard the concerns about the change in Dr. Bruce Dahlman’s employment via email, text, social media, phone calls, and from those who attended today’s board meeting. We know it is not easy to take time from your busy schedules to share your comments, and we appreciate it. We want you to know that we hear you and we care. As a long-standing pillar of this community, North Shore Health is firmly committed to our mission: “Community Access to Compassionate Care”. That is no small task in these challenging times for rural healthcare.

We are grateful to hear the personal stories about Dr. Dahlman and how much his dedicated service has meant to our families and coworkers. These are the kind of supportive relationships that glue together a strong community.

Much of the emotional response we have heard is based on the non-renewal of Dr. Dahlman’s contract with his employer. Please allow us to clear up any confusion about that. North Shore Health contracts with Wapiti Medical Group (Wapiti) for Emergency Department coverage. Given our rural location, this is the only way to ensure continuous Emergency Department coverage. Dr. Dahlman contracted with Wapiti to work in Emergency Departments in various organizations, including North Shore Health. Wapiti exercised a contractual right to end their relationship with Dr. Dahlman. No corrective action has been proposed or taken by North Shore Health regarding Dr. Dahlman. This is a contractual matter between Waptiti and Dr. Dahlman. North Shore Health cannot speak to the decisions between Wapiti and their contracted providers.

Wapiti’s commitment to guaranteed health care access for North Shore Health and our community is ongoing and unwavering.

On behalf of everyone at North Shore Health, we are thankful for Dr. Dahlman’s years of service. We wish him the best.

About North Shore Health:

North Shore Health is a rural health facility located on the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, MN. The organization, which is part of the Cook County Hospital District includes a 16-bed critical access hospital, a 37-bed skilled nursing facility, a home health agency, an ambulance service and a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic services. Their mission is “Community Access to Compassionate Care”.

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Contact: Todd Ford, Public Information Coordinator, 218-387-3508, or [email protected]