NorthLakes Community Clinic (northlakesclinic.org) is proud to be a Community Health Center (CHC), working to improve the health of our communities in northern Wisconsin, USA. As a Community Health Center, NorthLakes is a non-profit organization managed by a patient majority board of directors. Like other CHCs thoughout the United States, our CHC provides comprehensive, integrated, whole person care including medical, dental, behavioral health and prescription services.

NorthLakes Community Clinic is the result of the merging of North Woods and The Lakes Community Health Centers in 2013. Founded in 1976, North Woods provided medical and dental services from clinics in Minong and Hayward Wisconsin. The Lakes, which was formed in 2008 provided medical, dental, behavioral health and physical therapy services to patients from clinics in Iron River and Ashland Wisconsin. Today, each NorthLakes clinic is unique to the community it serves, and the expanded organization makes it possible for all of our sites to expand services while remaining cost efficient. NorthLakes Community Clinic employs over 200 people in 8 communities and continues to add new services as well as new jobs.

The NorthLakes Community Clinic Board of Directors has established a mission that requires staff to get outside the walls of our clinics to work towards the health of our communities. “The Board has been clear,” says Reba Rice, CEO of the organization. “In effect, our Board has said that our clinical services must be top notch! But you can’t just offer those – you’ve got to go out and address the root cause of what makes people sick.”

This is the inspiration for the many outreach programs NorthLakes has developed over the years. A few examples are: providing free or very low-cost vegetables through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program; giving books to children to take home at every possible doctor visit; and, working with several county jails through our Re-entry Program, which supports successful transitions back into the community for folks exiting jail. Also, NorthLakes provides mental health and dental services in our largest outreach program: school-based services.

NorthLakes Community Clinic collaborates with area school districts in offering mental health services in a confidential setting within the school building. Services are provided during the most convenient times for the students based on their course schedule. Therapists work with the school and family to arrange consistent meeting times for the student that will not interfere with academic success. We currently counsel in 6 school districts, with approximately 80 students. This program is growing quickly. The number of schools requesting services is significant, and NorthLakes is working to recruit therapists as well as to engage other agencies to partner in providing care for children in schools.

NorthLakes’ preventive dental outreach program is the largest in the state, covering 15 counties with services in elementary, middle and secondary schools, Head Start and WIC programs. It has been “estimated that more than 54 million school hours are lost yearly because of dental disease.”
(www.dhs.wisconsin.gov)

Our program includes oral health education, oral health assessment by a Registered Dental Hygienist and fluoride varnish or sealant applications. Currently, NorthLakes serves well over 120 schools and other programs, with more than 11,000 children receiving service. Also, aware that our seniors often suffer significant pain and difficulties eating due to poor oral hygiene, NorthLakes serves residents at several area nursing homes.

Dental screenings of our clients have indicated that there is high need for restorative dental services, especially in our southern service area. So, NorthLakes has partnered with Polk County Health and Human Services to house a Dentist and her team in the County Health Department building, serving patients with Medicaid (public healthcare insurance for those in need) or who qualify for NorthLakes’ Sliding Fee Scale. Dr. Kathleen Bergman-Mattison (DDS) offers services four days per week for children and adults.

NorthLakes, led by its Consumer Board of Directors, is committed to continuing to invest in our communities, offering services where patients live, work and go to school.