Letters

I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn last week of the firing of Dr. Bruce Dahlman. I served Cook County as a physician from 1975 to 1988 and worked with Dr. Dahlman. When he was a medical student in 1978-79 Bruce came to what was then Cook County Community Clinic to learn the art of medicine. From 1984 to 1988 we worked together as partners, staffing the clinic, emergency department, in-patient ward, and nursing home. Now, we continue as colleagues, both of us teaching a curriculum which updates the knowledge and sharpens the skills of teams of rural emergency care providers-Bruce in Minnesota and Kenya; me in Montana. I have only the highest respect for Dr. Dahlman’s knowledge, skill, professionalism, and leadership qualities, which have been proven in myriad ways during his almost four decades of services.

Clean, Affordable, Reliable and Safe (CARS) is a good way to describe what renewable energy offers our families and communities. A recent NY Times article detailed the amazing change that is happening in our US (and global) energy systems.

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.

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.

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.

I probably shouldn't be writing my first letter to the editor with this brain fog, but write I must. I find myself a week+ into COVID. Zero stars. It's my first time so I know I'm lucky on many levels.

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?

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.

I am writing to express my profound dismay regarding the recent dismissal of Dr. Bruce Dahlman from North Shore Health. This is a serious mistake. I have known Dr. Dahlman for over 30 years. I was his supervisor when we worked together for several years in Kenya. He is a superb clinician. The patient comes first in all that he does. He is kind and compassionate. He practices with the highest ethical standards. His academic qualifications are impeccable. He has considerable administrative skills and is a consummate team player. How could anyone even consider terminating a skilled family doctor with a 19-page CV and over 40 years of medical experience in remote, underserved communities? Something is amiss.