Reprinted from the 1938 edition of the Cook County News-Herald Remember when making a long-distance telephone call was a big deal? And making that call came from a landline? Well, it was even more special in 1938 when phones were relatively new. Your call back then was handled by a switchboard operator who would plug a patch cord into the socket of the person you called (if the call was local) on the switchboard.
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At 17, Ty Backlund told the audience attending the CCHS Veteran's Day Celebration on Friday, November 10, that he felt trapped and wanted out of Cook County, so he signed a contract with the Army. Ironic, right? Because Ty Backlund is back here with a wife and is working as a Cook County Sheriff's Deputy.
I have just returned from the closed session of the North Shore Hospital(NSH) Board meeting. I was there in my position as Chief of Medical Staff to present my investigation and thoughts on the termination of Dr. Bruce Dahlman from the Medical Staff of North Shore Hospital and from Wapiti (the ER group that provides services to NSH). Today, I speak to you as a physician who has worked here for 14 years and cares deeply about this community and the health of NSH. I believe you need to hear the story I have to tell.
To the editor, The North Shore Hospital Board of Directors and administrator, Kimber Wraalsted, have betrayed the trust of our community. Their treatment of a beloved and capable doctor followed by an insulting letter to the public call for immediate action. Resignation and/or recall.
It became clear at the recent NSH board meeting that NSH administration was involved in the firing of Dr. Dahlman, despite their repeated denials otherwise. It also became clear that he was not dismissed for medical reasons, nor for anything that merited his dismissal.
Although I no longer live or work in Cook County, I feel compelled to speak out about the troubling situation at North Shore Health and the arbitrary dismissal of a dedicated, compassionate physician, Dr. Bruce Dahlman. As a former employee who worked under both the previous and current administration, I will no longer remain silent. I can immediately recall at least twenty people who were either terminated for fabricated reasons or resigned due to the toxic environment created by the current administrator. There is no EMS staff member who has worked there for longer than three years because everyone has quit. All of the laboratory staff is temporary, having resigned because of the dreadful working conditions. The nursing staff has decreased to only a third of what it was seven years ago when I worked there. Anyone can verify this by looking at the job openings.
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.
November is the month of Food and Gratitude! This makes it the perfect time to thank our local grocers for their support of supplemental food programs. You may be familiar with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), but have you heard of WIC (Women, Infants, & Children)? Do you know about the Produce Vouchers that are funded by the Grand Marais Food Shelf?