NorthLakes Community Clinic’s Board of Directors has six new members who will help guide the organization into the future. The board oversees the activities of NorthLakes by meeting throughout the year to discuss and vote on the affairs of the organization, including its mission, strategies and goals.
The new members come from throughout the NorthLakes service area, which covers the northern third of Wisconsin. They are: Michael Flaherty of Clear Lake, JoAnn Fleming from Ironwood, MI, Drew Ringwald and Michael Stamp from Hayward, Ryan Smith from Solon Springs and Dick Thiede from Mercer. They all bring a unique set of skills to the board and a variety of reasons for wanting to serve.
Michael Flaherty was an operations manager who has served on a variety of boards and is joining to help make quality health care more available to those who are looking for it.
JoAnn Fleming spent her working life as a librarian and now is eager to serve an organization that “looks to provide health services to those that experience inequality in their health care”.
Drew Ringwald has also served on several boards, including being president of a large home owners association. He is excited to bring his understanding of contract conformance and cost analysis to the group.
Ryan Smith is a teacher who has served on the Solon Springs school board who wants to bring his experience to help NorthLakes offer greater access to mental health and recovery services.
Michael Stamp works in financial management, has a passion for volunteering and wants to help make a difference for the organization and the community.
Dick Thiede is a property manager who is hoping his time on the board will help to bring about an upgrade to the quality of care that is available in his area.
Each of these members have been elected by the full board to a one-year term which began in May.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), overseen by the Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA), NorthLakes is required to have a board that’s majority of members are served by the health center. With the arrival of these new members, 66% of the board are either patients or have a family member who is.
FQHC’s began in the 1960’s to get health care to people in rural areas and communities that were lacking in resources. That tradition continues today with health centers like NorthLakes in over 14,00 communities throughout the nation and are open to all people who are seeking healthcare.
