GETTING TO KNOW NORTH SHORE HEALTH
The Benefits of Collaborating with Wilderness Health
By NSH Education Coordinator Meghan Flynn, Wilderness Health Executive Director Cassandra Beardsley and Wilderness Health Program Associate Alexis Sininger
Hospitals in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin face unique challenges in providing high-quality, sustainable healthcare. Wilderness Health, a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by a group of area hospitals, is a collaborative network of independent healthcare providers that support and enhance access to quality rural health. By working together to foster collaboration and share resources, Wilderness Health helps member organizations optimize operations, manage chronic diseases, and engage patients in their care.
The shifts that occurred across the healthcare industry after the pandemic, combined with an aging regional workforce have massively impacted the ability to maintain a vital and sustainable workforce. The Wilderness Health network has developed short and long-term strategies to support current and future needs. North Shore Health in Grand Marais, MN, is one of the many rural facilities benefiting from this partnership. Staff have access to free workshops like Customer Service Delivered with Excellence, which enhances patient interactions, and leadership programs such as Walk the Talk: Leadership Accountability and Constructing the Right Organizational Culture Brick by Brick, which strengthen workplace culture. Other Workforce development programs like Preceptor Bootcamp and Leadership Residency support mentorship and professional growth. Additionally, several North Shore Health staff received a silver fellowship in quality from Mayo Clinic Education after participating in a quality certification course and project to improve patient understanding of medications after hospitalization.
Beyond training and education, North Shore Health staff benefit from peer networking and roundtable discussions to foster collaboration across hospitals. Roundtables, including Education, Finance, Human Resources, Imaging, and Nursing Leadership provide opportunities to share best practices and address workforce challenges, while the Coordination of Care Roundtable helps improve patient transitions and continuity of care.
Increasing access to care for patients across our mostly rural region is a key initiative of the network. Wilderness Health received a HRSA Rural Health Network grant in 2020 to develop a telehealth program to increase access to mental health care, reduce wait times of patients, create communication materials, and reduce stigma around mental/behavioral health in our region. North Shore Health is participating in this program with resources available in the Emergency Department for telepsychiatry, mental health diagnoses, and therapy referrals.
Working together to build capacity and address systemic needs, North Shore Health and other Wilderness Health members retain skilled staff, improve teamwork, and ensure high-quality, patient-centered care for our community.
For more information, visit: https://www.northshorehealthgm.org. Stay tuned for future informative Getting to Know North Shore Health articles published monthly in the Cook County News Herald.